Until You
by anonymous1912
Summary: Follow Fitz and Olivia on a journey surprises, healing hearts, and an odd set of circumstances that brought them together.
1. Hoping against hope

Disclaimer: Do I own Scandal? Nope.

AN: So I decided to try my hand at story that had an actual story line and not just Fitz and Liv going at it like rabbits (however, it will be moving to the M section in later chapters) Anyways, I hope you guys like it. Happy reading.

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Olivia was never the sappy romantic type that believed in love at first sight. She never once imagined that there was a person out there that was truly meant for her and she definitely didn't need a prince charming to save her. She supposed that her calloused views on love came from watching her mother make a fool out of herself seeking affection from men that was never returned. Olivia vowed that she would never be that woman, the one that clung to her man's every word and worshiped the ground he walked on. She had herself, her work, and a vibrator and that was more than enough. Well… almost.

Then he appeared and ruined it all.

One look at him and she understood why Juliet killed herself over losing Romeo, why Desdemona defied everything to be with Othello, and why Ophelia couldn't live without the affections of Hamlet. One look into those gray eyes and she was tethered to him. Millions of invisible steel ropes tied her heart and soul to his and he didn't even have to speak to destroy every wall she haphazardly built. And in the same amount of time it took for him to make her heart beat in her chest was the same amount of time he took to make it stop cold.

He spared her one more glance, not even a meaningful one, and kept right on walking. Kept right on walking as if she didn't just give him her soul, didn't just wordlessly tell him all her secrets, didn't just promise to be his forever. He kept walking. She had to fight back the ludicrous tears that threatened to fall from her eyes as she tried to convince herself that it was all just a figment of her imagination.

A person pushed past her on the busy street and Olivia was literally knocked back into reality. She adjusted her purse on her shoulder and continued on her journey. Nothing was going to bring her down today, not even the mystery man. She was on a mission to fulfill her own destiny and today was the big day. She finally reached the building and gripping the metal handle to the glass door, she pulled it open and walked into the welcomed warmth of the space.

She stepped up to the front desk and the familiar receptionist greeted her with a friendly smile. She didn't even ask Olivia's name. She'd been there enough times that she recognized her face. They had sort of became friends over the past few months and Olivia appreciated getting premium appointment slots. Olivia made small talk as the receptionist filled out some information on her computer before she told Olivia to have a seat and wait.

"This time will be the one, Liv. I can feel it in my bones," Lisa, the receptionist, called as she turned away from the desk.

"I hope so," Olivia replied more to herself than to Lisa.

She sank into the plush seat which was unusual for where she was at. The whole place was unusual, the walls were a warm an earthy green instead of stock white and the dim lighting made it feel almost like a hotel lobby. She supposed it was decorated this way to create a calm and inviting area and with what she was paying these people, she would hope they had a sense of décor.

"Ms. Pope, the doctor is ready for you," the nurse called out from the hallway five minutes later.

Olivia could feel butterflies in her stomach as she followed the nurse down the long corridor. This was the sixth and last time she would be taking this type of walk, no matter what the results were. There were other options that she hadn't wanted to consider before, but this journey was a long and tiring one and she thought she might need to consider other outcomes.

The nurse opened the door to the room Olivia was usually seen in and told her that the doctor would be in in a little bit. Olivia nodded, confirming that she heard her, and proceeded to take off her clothes when the door closed so that she could change into the paper gown. The scratchy material against her skin was just another reminder of where she was in her life. That she had to resort to this to get what she wanted, but she knew in the end it would all be worth it. The knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts and Olivia told the doctor to come in.

"Nice to see you again, Liv, although I hope this will be the last time under these circumstances," Dr. David Rosen said with a sad smile.

"I agree. What are my chances of getting pregnant this time?" she asked as she took a seat on the exam table.

"With women your age…" he trailed off, already having explained the statistics to her several times.

Olivia had been trying to get pregnant via in vitro for a while now and each attempt ended in failure. She was thirty-four, and although it wasn't the ideal age in life to be having a baby, she knew of plenty of other women that had a perfectly healthy baby and were older than her.

The calling to be a mother hadn't hit her until she witnessed her best friends Abby and Stephen welcome their daughter Vivian into the world two years ago. Then Cyrus, the guy she looked at like a second father, and his partner James adopted their daughter Ella and the need to nurture hit Olivia like a ton of bricks. She ached to fill her arms with a little bundle of joy and so she started the process to becoming a mother.

She looked around the fertility clinic exam room at the posters of pregnant women and the fetus growing at different stages and felt a pang of sadness. The road to having a baby had been a long one, filled with shots, pills, and miscarriages. This was the last of the sperm that she bought and she prayed that it would finally take.

When she first walked into sperm bank a year and a half ago, she had no idea what type of man she was looking for to father her baby. She had looked at the checklist of the features she would want and had to laugh because it resembled a grocery list. Height check, weight check, hair color check, ethnicity check, pedigree check. She thought the whole process was shallow but when she pictured her child, the whole thing seemed a lot less trivial. The people at the sperm bank recommended this place to get the procedure done and that was how she ended up her now, with about to inseminate her for the fourth time.

"You know the drill, Liv. Legs in the stirrups," he instructed and got his instruments ready.

Olivia got took a deep breath and let her mind drift to the man she saw earlier today. He was extremely handsome with brown curly hair, broad shoulders, and eyes that drew her in. She pretended that it was his baby that she was having before she scolded herself for being pathetic and unrealistic. When this baby finally did come it would be just her, no mystery man. But she still couldn't help herself from imagining the details of his life. He was dressed in a tailored three piece suit that spoke of wealth so she pictured him as a high class business exec with an important job. He looked like the type to schmooze on the golf course and then go home to two perfect kids and a perfect little wife. She felt irrationally jealous at the thought of him having a family but quickly dismissed it.

"Alright Olivia, that should do it. Come back in two weeks and we'll see if it took," Dr. Rosen said, taking off his gloves and throwing them away before exiting the room.

Olivia hopped down then got redressed. She looked around the room, hoping that this would be that last time she would have to do this. She opened the door and headed down the long hallway and towards the front desk to set up her next appointment. Lisa had already penciled her in and wished Olivia luck before she left the clinic all together.

* * *

"Are you feeling pregnant Liv,"Abby asked a few days later as she balanced Vivian on her lap.

"Well, I haven't had any symptoms, but you didn't have any with Vivian until like your two month mark," Olivia replied as she put a popped a grape into her mouth.

It was her and Abby's weekly brunch and this week it was held at Abby and Stephen's house. They had been friends since freshmen year of high school. Abby was there when Olivia's dad died, and Olivia was there when Abby first met Stephen. Abby understood Olivia like no one else did and she loved the fiery red head for it.

"That's true. I just hope this one works this time. I'm tired of being the only MILF in our group of friends," Abby complained and Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

"What friends?" she questioned in between giggles.

It had always been just them until Stephen and Vivian came along. Olivia jokingly referred to them as friend stealers and was slightly jealous that they required all of her friend's time.

"Well, there's me, you…uhhh, Lisa the receptionist, oh and Cyrus and James," Abby listed, putting up a finger for each name she said.

"I highly doubt that my mother's third husband that turned out to be gay and his partner James could qualify as our friends," Olivia pointed out.

"You're right," Abby agreed before Vivian started crying.

The little girl had the red hair and looks of her mother, but her personality was all Stephen. Olivia smiled at her goddaughter/ honorary niece and couldn't help but imagine her child. This time however, the baby that she pictured had gray eyes and Olivia wasn't prepared for the feelings that came along with the image

"It looks like someone is ready for a nap," Abby cooed, getting up to put down the baby.

* * *

"Alright Ms. Pope, are you ready to hear the results of your pregnancy test?" Dr. Rosen asked at her appointment two weeks later.

Olivia nodded, anticipation making it impossible for her to vocalize her thoughts. He began talking and Olivia tuned him out, not wanting to the bad news. But then she heard, "Congratulations," and relief flooded her veins.

_I'm pregnant,_ she thought and smiled to herself. However, she quickly tried to shut out the images of her stomach swelling with a child, her baby in her arms, her little one saying mommy for the first time, him or her tottling over to her in their first steps, first days of school, scrapes and cuts that needed mommy's special kisses, prom, college and weddings. She had been here twice before and each time ended with her screaming as her baby died in her womb. She wouldn't let herself hope until she was holding her little miracle in her arms.

"Now, I know we've been here before, but I really think that this time you'll carry to term and deliver a healthy baby," David tried to reassure her.

He went over all the things that she already knew about prenatal care and she promised that she would follow his orders down to the punctuation mark. Now all that was left was to pray.

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AN: Let me know what you guys thought in a review below


	2. Finally

**Disclaimer: Don't own Scandal**

**AN: So Liv is finally pregnant, will she deliver a healthy baby? Let's see.**

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**8 Weeks **

Olivia heard her baby's heartbeat for the first time and was so moved that she cried. The sound was strong and a squishy and seemed to have its own little beat. She laughed through her tears as she watched the little flicker on the screen next to the bed. This was finally happening for her and she couldn't help but pray that she would get to meet her baby this time.

Once she left the clinic, she headed straight to the nearest baby boutique and bought a cute little cream colored onesie. She had given all of the other baby stuff away after her second miscarriage in a moment of sheer depression and hadn't let herself buy any more ever since. She was hesitant to even buy this one just in case this pregnancy went like the others, but she allowed herself to hope just a little. She left the store with a onesie, a teddy bear, and a smile.

* * *

**3 ½ months**

"Do you hear that?" Dr. Rosen asked, his voice filled with wonder.

"Hear what? Is there something wrong with the baby?" Olivia started to panic.

"No, no there's nothing wrong with the babies," he told her with a wide grin spread across his face.

Olivia blew out a breath of relief and sank back onto the bed. Then his words started to register. Babies? As in plural? As in more than one?

"Babies?" She asked as if she didn't know what that word meant

"Yes. Listen." He stated simply and moved that wand around her stomach some.

There it was. Two strong heartbeats, the sound echoing throughout the room. She and David sat for five full minutes just listening, completely mesmerized by what they were hearing. Dr. Rosen had been with her every step of the way and had taken a personal liking to Olivia. He had feelings for her that weren't strictly doctor patient. Olivia was aware of these feelings, but ever since seeing her mystery man, she couldn't picture herself with anyone else.

"Wow," she finally said as the tears streamed down her face.

* * *

**4 months **

Olivia lifted her shirt a little higher as she studied her profile in the full length mirror. The babies were growing and it was evident in the protruding bulge of her belly. She rubbed it lovingly before she lowered her shirt and climbed back in bed. This was the mark she had reached with her other pregnancies before she miscarried and was taking no risks with frick and frack as she had started calling them. She had put herself on bed rest, rarely leaving the house unless it was absolutely necessary.

Abby and Stephen were extremely supportive of her and were doing everything they could to make this an easy pregnancy. Abby and Vivian often spent their days with Olivia and they would discuss everything except for the babies because Olivia didn't want to jinx it.

But when she was alone, Olivia couldn't help but let herself dream. She had even ordered a few items of clothing and two cribs offline. She read all of the baby books that pertained to twins and even enrolled in a Lamaze class that she would be attending later in her pregnancy. Little by little she was accepting that these babies were here to stay and that she'd finally be a mother.

* * *

**6 months**

Olivia was sitting in bed, going over some things on her IPad when she felt a swift kick to her stomach. She stopped everything and waited for the movement to happen again. When it did, she lifted her shirt up and watched her skin stretch as frick and frack played in her womb. She covered her mouth in awe as she felt the sensation of life within her. Moments like this was when she wished she had a partner and once again her mystery man came to mind.

She imagined reaching over to place his hand on her stomach as they felt their babies kick underneath their palms. She smiled pathetically and pushed those thoughts aside. She wished she knew the genders, but decided to be surprised during the birth instead. She had roughly 3 months left and this was the furthest she had gotten in any of her pregnancies. She hired an interior designer to turn her guest room into a nursery and finally let herself think about the future of being a mother.

* * *

**7 ½ months**

A moan spilled from her lips as Olivia woke up drenched in sweat. In her last trimester, she became extremely horny. She blamed it on the fluctuating hormones, but knew that her body wasn't completely at fault. Each one of her erotic dreams featured a pair of stormy grey eyes and curly brown hair. She wanted him with a fire she hadn't felt in well… ever. And she didn't even know his name.

She swung her legs over the side of her bed and headed to the bathroom to take a cold shower. She felt like she swallowed a beach ball and the twins were making her movements slow, but she wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world. Once she was done washing up, she waddled to her kitchen to satisfy her other craving.

She fished out her hot sauce and chocolate bar from the fridge before hoping up on the counter to indulge in her guilty pleasure. As she let the spicy sweet taste fill her taste buds, she let her mind drift back to her dream. His large hands had parted her legs before he fell between her thighs. He plunged into over and over, but she would wake up just before she fell into bliss. Olivia let out a frustrated groan before hoping off the counter and heading back to bed.

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**8 ¼ months **

**9 a.m.**

"I thought we were friends! How could you not tell me that this absolutely sucks!" Olivia screamed as another contraction hit.

"I did. You just didn't believe me," Abby laughed as she watched her best friend go through pain that can only be experienced to be understood.

"GET ME THE MEDS!" Olivia yelled at anyone who would listen.

She initially said that she was going to deliver naturally to get the full experience since this would be her only birth, but as soon as the first really bad contraction hit, she was crying mercy. Abby went and got the doctor who said that she could get the epidural.

**12 p.m**

"One more big push Olivia and baby A will be out," David informed her from his position between her legs.

Olivia gave it her all and the baby was out. She heard it cry and it was the most beautiful sound she ever heard.

"It's a boy," David celebrated and she could hear Abby and Stephen rejoice.

Stephen cut the umbilical cord and David held up the crying baby boy so that Olivia could see. He was swollen and pink and his little face was scrunched up but he was still gorgeous. Tears freely flowed down her face as she watched David pass her son off to the nurse so that they could get him cleaned up while Olivia worked on delivering baby B. She gave Stephen a look, and he went to be with her son while Abby held her hand through the final push.

"It's a beautiful baby girl," Dr. Rosen announced, his voice choked with emotion.

Her cry rivaled her brother's and Olivia knew that she had a little diva on her hands. She was just as adorable as her twin, her head full of brown curls that Olivia wanted to run her hand through. She too was taken off to get cleaned up before both babies were brought back to their mother swaddled in blankets with pink and blue caps on.

Olivia held out her arms as the nurse placed her son and daughter in the cradle she made with her limbs. They fit perfectly and Olivia held them close to her chest. Her eyes shifted from one to the other, trying to memorize each feature of their little faces.

"Hello, Bennett," she whispered and he opened his little eyes in approval, "and hello, my little Lila. Happy Birthday."

* * *

"I've got the information you wanted me to gather sir," Jake said as he entered his boss' office.

"Fantastic, Jake. Hand it here," Fitz told him with his hand outstretched.

Fitz had been staring out of window of his sixth floor corner office as he often did. His thoughts were centered on the information he had Jake collect for him. It had taken some time and a few thousand dollars, but everything would pay off in the long run. Jake crossed the room to stand in front of Fitz's desk and handed him the dossier that was full of information on a woman that Jake had never seen before. Fitz took it and immediately started skimming the contents. When he came to the last page, his whole world stopped and started all at the same time. This was going to be harder than he ever imagined.

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**AN: Hmmmm...what is Fitz up to? Let me know what you think in a review.**


	3. Help

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.**

**AN: So here is the next chapter. Hopefully it answers some of the questions you guys had. Happy Reading ;)**

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_"Karen, Gerry, stop that," Mellie scolded from the front seat, turning to glare for effect._

_The kids immediately stopped whatever it was they were doing and Fitz cringed at the iciness of her voice. He hated the way she disciplined them and so he made up for it by being a complete pushover. When Mellie turned around, Fitz winked at them from the rear view mirror and they gave shy smiles back._

_He knew they were acting out because they didn't want to go back to boarding school. Fitz had tried to tell Mellie that there were private schools close by that they could attend but she wouldn't listen. So once again she got her way and once again Fitz had to say goodbye to his kids._

_"Aren't you guys excited to see all your friends?" Fitz asked, trying to lighten the mood._

_They each grumbled an, "I guess so," and returned their attention to the electronic devices in their laps._

_At ages 13 and 12, it was a crucial age and they needed to be home and not be raised by the school systems. But Mellie never seemed to understand that. She insisted that they were getting the best education, but really, she had no interest in being a parent. This was something Fitz wished he had known before he married her._

_Fitz expertly stirred the car around the corner and continued the journey to the school. He took his eyes off the road again to check on his children and saw the glum expressions on their faces. _

"_Fitz! The road!" Mellie yelled, her voice full of panic._

_Turning back to the road, there was a huge deer in the middle but it was too late to stop. Fitz swerved sharply and the car spun and skidded across the pavement. The car was thrown from left to right before finally slamming into a tree._

"Nooooooo," Fitz screamed as he sprung up in his bed, his sheets and pajamas drenched in sweat.

He should be used to having these nightmares by now as they had occurred every night since that day. But he supposed that being responsible for the accident that took his children's lives was not something that he'd ever get used to. He missed them with a pain that was so acute that he failed to get out of bed some days. His marriage with Mellie disintegrated soon after and he lost all faith in life itself.

That was three years ago and he was just now starting to come to terms with his life. There was still a void, a family shaped hole in his heart that he ached to fill. Six years after Karen was born, Mellie insisted that two children were more than enough and not willing to get her tubes tied, asked Fitz to get a vasectomy. They fought about for years until he finally relented. He cursed her even now for that, especially since it made it impossible for him to be a father again, or so he thought. Before he got a vasectomy, he donated his sperm as sort of a last hoorah. It took a lot of time and money, but he finally tracked down the sperm he donated twenty years earlier.

Swinging his legs over his king sized bed, he reached over to his night stand and grabbed the folder that Jake had given him two weeks ago. He opened it and flipped to the last page as he did every morning since he received the information. On it was a picture of a woman that looked ready to burst. He stroked his finger over the picture, rubbing her belly that held his children. He couldn't believe his luck when he read that she was having twins. The woman herself was gorgeous and oddly eerily familiar. It was as if he had known her in another life, but he wasn't going to dwell.

Picking up the phone, he dialed office. His secretary answered on the second ring. "Clear all of my appointments for the next few days, Mary. I won't be in the office for a while."

With that, he hung up the phone and got ready to go and meet his children.

* * *

The shrill cry came through the baby monitor and even though the fatigue weighed heavy on her senses, Olivia couldn't be happier to hear that sound. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 3:45 in morning. She rolled out of bed and headed down the hall to the nursery. It had been two weeks and they had already changed so much. Each day, Olivia noticed new features and developing personalities shining through.

She walked into the room and was greeted with Lila screaming. The walls of the nursery were a soft brown and there was a tree with blue leaves painted in the corner. They currently had colorful stars dancing across them from the multiple night lights had plugged in. The furniture was a rich chocolate and had baby blue linens to match the leaves of the tree. The two cribs were on opposite walls and there was a plush white rug in the middle. Olivia's rocking chair sat in the corner and the changing table was placed underneath the wall. Luckily there were two closets in the room and each had a dresser and was stuffed with clothes. She went all little overboard. Olivia went to Lila first, and as soon as she scooped her up, the crying stopped.

"You are such a drama queen," Olivia cooed and Lila gave a grunt as if to say 'whatever.'

She rocked her a little before heading across the room to Bennett. He lay in the crib, and as soon as she came into view, he gave her a gummy grin, his dimples popping out. Olivia adjusted Lila and picked up Bennett before going to sit in her rocking chair. As she breastfed, she took the time to study them like she always did. Both were lighter than her, a color she likened to sand, and each had glossy, curly brown hair. But the kicker was that they both had a set of blue gray eyes that shock Olivia to her core. She kept expecting them to change colors, but they never did and Olivia couldn't help but be reminded of her mystery man.

The twins soon drifted back off to sleep, but Olivia didn't want to put them down just yet. She brushed her hand through Bennett's hair then turned and kissed Lila, thanking God that she had two happy, healthy babies. She put them down in their cribs, giving each a kiss before she left the room.

"Yes, Abby, everything is ok. How is everything at the office?" Olivia asked, cradling the phone on between her shoulder and her ear as she put in another load of laundry.

Olivia started her own business as a legal consultant and major companies would often call her and her crew in when they were considering mergers and other big deals. Her work kept her busy, and until the twins, she thought of it as her baby. She would often go in early and stay late, rarely taking a day off. So for her to leave the office in the capable hands of Abby was a big deal. Her crew, composed of Harrison, Huck, and Quinn, were self -sufficient for most part and had things under control.

"Everything is fine for the millionth time. By the way, a really cute guy came in today," Abby mentioned not so subtly.

Ever since she broke up with Edison two years ago, Abby had been trying nonstop to set her up with random guys. Olivia played along to an extent, agreeing to go on blind dates here and there, but with two kids to take care of, men were not on her radar.

"I just gave birth two weeks ago, Abby," Olivia reminded her.

"Yes. And I noticed that Dr. Rosen was extremely excited. I think he has a thing for you. Maybe you two should go out."

She had considered going out with David before, but couldn't muster anything besides friendly feelings towards him. He didn't make her palms sweaty, knees weak, or belly flutter with need. He wasn't her mystery man. Olivia chastised herself for comparing the two, especially since the chances of running into her mystery man again were one in a billion. Maybe she should give David a call.

"The twins are crying Abby, gotta go," Olivia lied and quickly hung up before her friend could call her on it.

* * *

"Please, please, please stop crying," Olivia plead, on the verge of tears herself.

Karma was a bitch. She should have never told Abby that the babies were crying because as soon as they woke up from their naps, that's all they did. She had fed them, checked and changed their diapers, sang, rocked, cuddled and swaddled both of them to no avail.

Olivia paced in circles with a baby in each arm, bouncing lightly and praying that they'd stop screaming. She wished she had a partner to help her, to tell her what to do, to give her a break when all she wanted to do was cry right along with her children.

"If you stop crying, I promise that when you're older I'll let you do whatever you want," she tried to bargain.

They only seemed to cry harder, their chubby little faces scrunched up and red. She called her pediatrician and she told her that it was colic and that it would pass in time. Olivia hated not knowing how to settle her children and was feeling like a failure as a parent. When she didn't think things could get any worse, the doorbell rang.

Walking to the door, she adjusted Bennett so that she could open it. Not checking the peephole first, she swung open the door and her entire world stopped when she saw who was standing on the other side. Standing in the door frame like her personal savior stood her mystery man. He was casually dressed in a beige pullover and jeans and he looked absolutely breathtaking. The first thought that came to mind was _I missed you_. She wanted to tell him that she'd been waiting for him, that she thought about him constantly, that she was so happy to see him, but the only thing that came out was, "Hi."

His gray eyes drifted from her to the crying babies and an unreadable emotion came across his handsome face. It was almost like joy, relief, awe, and overwhelming love. He reached a hand out to touch Lila, but before he could touch her, he seemed to remember himself and pulled back.

Dragging his eyes away, he looked back at Olivia. "Hi. Can I came in?"

* * *

**AN: Many of you predicted/hoped that Fitz was the father. I know that this could be a tad unrealistic, but millions donate sperm and you never know whose womb it will land in, plus this is fiction after all. Next chapter will answer some more questions and we will find out what Fitz's plans are. Please leave a review below and let me know what you thought.**


	4. Can I come in?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.**

**AN: Hello all. So as of right now, I don't have a set update time period, its more like when ever I feel like writing, but I will try to get them out in a more timely manner. Anyways here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

* * *

"Can I come in?" He asked again after some minutes of her just staring.

Olivia almost moved aside so that he could do just that until she remembered that she had no idea who this man was, what he wanted, or how he got her address. Even if she had been obsessing over him for the last 10 months, she still didn't know him and had to protect her children from this potential predator. Though there was something in his eyes that said he wouldn't hurt them.

"I'm not exactly in the habit of letting strange men into my house," Olivia told him, rocking her babies that had quieted the moment she opened the door.

Olivia could see in his eyes that that was not the answer he was hoping for, but not before she caught a glimpse of respect there too. He seemed to think over the dilemma at hand for a few seconds and a light bulb went off.

"How about we go to the park? I'm sure that the kids will appreciate getting some fresh air and that way, there'll be witnesses if I try to kill you," he joked.

Olivia couldn't help but smile at that, but it was a little creepy that a person she just met was talking about killing her. She thought over the idea, and almost agreed to it. But her children were only two weeks old, and being a first time mother, she didn't exactly know how safe an outing to the germ filled park would be.

"They haven't had all of their shots yet and I'm not sure how comfortable I am going to the park let alone with a complete stranger," Olivia told him and could see he was getting agitated.

Again he thought of a different solution before settling on one. He rummaged around in his back pocket for a minute before producing his wallet. He took out his I.D card and handed it to her. She adjusted Lila a little then took the card. She studied it like she was going to take an exam on the tiny letters written in the plastic. While she did that, he spoke and she lost her concentration from hearing his deep voice.

"I'm Fitzgerald Grant. I used to live in Santa Barbara until I moved here to D.C about a year ago. I like dogs, hate cats, am 45 years old, allergic to pineapples, and I believe the children you are holding are mine."

She stopped dead in her tracks and nearly dropped her children at his news. That couldn't be. Sperm donations were supposed to be anonymous, neither the birth mother nor the biological father were allowed to contact each other. But here he was, with eyes and hair like her children, claiming they were his. She didn't like the way he said _mine_. These two were hers. She didn't know what his intentions were and quite frankly they didn't matter. She could tell his was used to get his way, but he had never met a woman like her before.

He could still see that she was conflicted about letting him in and presented her with a folder she wasn't aware he had until now. Seeing as her arms were full, she couldn't exactly hold a folder and flip through its contents. Plus Lila started to fuss again, signaling that she was tired.

"May I?" He asked, his sole focus on Lila, and he was already reaching for her.

The amount of love she saw in his gaze confirmed what Olivia knew from the moment he said he was their father. Hell, if she were honest with herself, she had been thinking it ever since they opened their eyes. But it was a ludicrous thought, wishful thinking that couldn't possibly be true. But she couldn't deny that there seemed to be a pull there. Those millions of steel ropes connecting them also connected Lila and Bennett and she could feel it in her heart that he was telling the truth.

On a pure leap of faith, she transferred her child to his waiting arms and could've cried at the sight they made. He held her like she was a Faberge egg and would break if he moved in the slightest of ways. Little traitor that she was, Lila immediately stopped fussing, cuddled right up, and fell asleep. Seeing as how he had her child in his arms, there was no need to deny him access to her home and stepped aside to let him in.

She led him to the living room, Bennett drifting to sleep as well along the way. Sitting on the couch, she held her hand out for the folder and he handed it to her. He still stood and rocked their daughter, walking a little and speaking to her in hushed tones.

"What are their names?" he asked quietly, almost shyly, while he stared at the baby girl like she hung the moon.

"Lila Marie and Bennett Alexander," Olivia said proudly, then realized she had yet to introduce herself, "and I'm Oli-."

"Olivia Carolyn Pope. I did my research on you. It's all there in that folder. I wanted be with them before I found out their names. Great choices by the way. Can I hold Bennett?" He asked hopefully and Olivia nodded.

He walked over to where she was sitting and bent a little so that she could nestle the baby in his arms. Bennett stirred a little, but just like his sister, he cuddled right up and fell back asleep. Olivia never thought she would be jealous of her children, but seeing them in the arms of her mystery man made her wish she could be there right along with them. Coming back to reality, she opened the folder and began meticulously reviewing the information.

"As you can see, I wasn't lying but if it makes you feel better, we can do a DNA test. Although I'm sure it won't be necessary seeing as how they have my eyes," Fitz spoke when she set down the folder.

"Mr. Grant," Olivia began

"Fitz," he interrupted.

"Fitz…what exactly are you hoping to gain from coming here?" Olivia asked, thinking it was fair to hear his thoughts. He did provide the necessary tool for her to have kids after all.

"Initially, I was planning on having my lawyer petition for full custody," he answered honestly and he could see full blown rage come over Olivia's pretty face. "I said initially. Before I came here and saw you with them and knew there was no way I could do that. Then I thought of a better idea."

"Before I hear your brilliant new idea, answer one question for me. Why us? I'm sure like other sperm donors, you donated more than once. Even if you didn't, you're a good looking guy, I'm sure any woman would be happy to have your babies. So why us?"

He seemed a little taken off guard by this question and he stopped his walking. He stared at her for a minute, contemplating his answer before he finally spoke.

"Actually I only donated once and I had a vasectomy and...uh ….so yeah, these two are it for me," he answered and Olivia got the feeling he wanted to say something more.

"So what? You want a chance at fatherhood? Why not adopt or get a dog?" She questioned.

"For the same exact reason you didn't. These two are my flesh and blood and I won't walk away from them," he said with finality in his voice.

"You technically have no rights to them. Your name isn't on the birth certificate and the only proof you have of fatherhood is that you have the same donor number as my donor. I could easily prove a clerical error. So I suggest you tread carefully when you tell me what it is you want because if it's anything like what you initially wanted, you might as well leave now."

Fitz took a deep breath, and for the first time, he seemed to acknowledge that the ball wasn't in his court. He had never been handled like that before in his life and he liked that about her. He took a moment to study her. From her messy ponytail, bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, and oversized sweatshirt she was wearing to her full lips, high cheekbones, and glow of motherhood, she was absolutely breathtaking. Looking at her and talking to her made the feeling of familiarity that much stronger and he knew what he was about to say was a good idea.

"I think that we should….whoa…what is that…is that…no it can't be them," he almost gagged as he scrunched up his nose in disgust.

He brought each of their bottoms up to his nose and the face he made when he was met with the evidence of his suspicions made Olivia laugh. Fitz was ranting and raving at the smell coming from the babies and Olivia just giggled. Deciding to use this opportunity as a test, she led him to the nursery.

"Welcome to fatherhood," she said as she sat in her rocking chair. "The diapers and wipes are in there," she mentioned, pointing to the changing table.

"How can something so small and cute make something so horrible?" Fitz stated rhetorically as he began changing Bennett.

He made a big production of guarding his nose in the sleeve of his bent elbow, periodically having to turn his head away from the fumes to gag. Olivia wished she had some popcorn because he was so entertaining.

"What are you feeding these kids?" He asked, his voice muffled because he had pulled his sweater up over his nose.

"It's only breast milk. It can be that bad, Fitz. I think that you're overreacting," Olivia told him as she went over to grab a freshly changed Bennett as he moved on to Lila.

"Overreacting? I think not. This smell is awful," Fitz said as he gagged again.

"Do you see that, Benny bear? Your daddy is being silly changing Lila's diaper," Olivia cooed before she realized what she was saying.

"I like that," Fitz said softly some moments later, "being Daddy. It sounds right."

Olivia chose not to respond and soon Lila was changed as well. They both fell back asleep and so Fitz and Olivia put them down in their cribs before quietly exiting the room. Fitz looked around the nursery, silently approving of the space she had created for his children. When he was finished, they headed into the kitchen and Olivia leaned against the counter while Fitz leaned opposite from her against the island. She could not get over having him here. She didn't realize how much she was missing by not having a partner until he showed up. But he was still a complete stranger, no matter that fact that he fathered her children or that she was half way in love with him. She would still tread carefully. She had three hearts to protect.

"You are so beautiful," Fitz told her out of the blue, breaking the silence.

The intensity in his gaze let her know that he meant it and it made butterflies appear in her stomach. How many times had she daydreamed about what his voice would sound like? How many times had she imagined him saying those exact words to her? How many times had she wished that he was the father to her children? How many times did she replay that moment on the street where her whole world was tiled on its axis? Too many to count and now it was all coming to fruition. She knew the old saying was be careful what you wish for, but for right now, she would just soak it all in.

"Thank you," she responded, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear and ducking her head shyly.

"I know it's only been two weeks since they've been born, but I think that you've been doing a great job so far and all I want is to be a part of their lives. But I don't want to be a part time or weekend dad. So I think that I've come up with a great solution."

"And what is that?" Olivia asked, hoping he wasn't about to say what she thought he was going to say.

"Marry me…"

* * *

**AN: So I want to say thank you for all the views, reviews, follows, and favorites. I would love t hear what you think in a review, like is this believable, is he moving too fast, would you have let Fitz hold your child and let him into your house, what is Olivia going to say? Let me know all your thoughts and predictions in a review below.**


	5. Decisions, decisions

**AN: So many of you would not let Fitz hold your baby, let alone into your house. And I completely agree, but Liv, well...she's head over heels in love with the idea of him and as she gets to know the real him, so of those feelings are becoming more concrete. A few had questions about Fitz sperm donations, and I tried to answer them ,but for the sake of the story, I didn't go too in depth. In time, I'll give a better explanation. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Happy reading :)**

* * *

"Marry you? Are you out of your mind? I don't even know you," Olivia stated firmly.

She had to admit that after the words left his mouth, she briefly let herself visualize a life with him. More diaper changes, him waking up in the middle of the night instead of her, date nights, holding hands, kisses and touches…But that was just a fantasy. She had to realize that that couldn't happen, that it wouldn't happen.

"We'll get to know each other. I really think this is the best option. We'll be under the same roof and our children will get two parents full time," he tried to reason.

Olivia dropped her head in her hands and took and deep breath in and let it out before she spoke. "I. Don't. Know. You," she spoke as if she were talking to a simpleton, "I'm not going to marry you because it's convenient. You don't love me and I don't…this'll never work." She couldn't admit to not having feelings for him, especially when it wasn't true.

He crossed his arms over his chest, the material of his pullover stretching over his well -toned biceps. She always thought that when she found her _one_, whenever that may be, that it'd be a slow process before she realized it. She figured she'd be wined and dined and coaxed into love. She always thought that when she was proposed to that it would be romantic and she'd automatically say yes. And while a small part of her wanted to, she knew it would be disastrous if she did.

"You're right. The only things I know about you are the words printed in those documents. And while no, we're not in love, there is something between us. I know you feel it too," he said, lowering his voice an octave and stepping closer until he was in her personally space.

Her breathing ceased as soon as she got a whiff of his strong, masculine scent. Her heart hammered in her in her chest as he stepped even closer, boxing her in by balancing an arm on each side of her on the counter. She knew she should feel panic with this man she hardly knew crowding her, but panic was the last thing she felt. Over the months she had convinced herself her feelings for him were a fluke, but having him here with her, she knew they weren't.

"I…you…I'm not marrying you," she stumbled on her words, her brain mush when he was this close.

Seemingly unable to help himself, he dropped his head to her neck and inhaled. If he was trying to seduce her into his way of thinking, it was definitely working. She wanted him. He placed a butterfly kiss to her throat and Olivia gasped at the feelings it evoked. He wasn't playing far and he knew it. She caught herself tilting her neck to the side to give him better access. She forced her arms between them to push him away which was no easy feat seeing as how they were like jelly from his kisses. He got the hint a backed off, but only a little.

"Okay. You don't want to marry me. How about we move in together? It'll be like we were roommates. That way we get to know each other and I get to be around the babies twenty four seven." He sounded as if he just found the cure to the common cold.

Actually, it wasn't that bad of an idea. It'd be like renting to tenant that she just so happened to share children with. She could rationalize it to herself even further if she charged him rent. Strangers moved in together all the time, just look at the Golden Girls. They didn't know each other and they became the best of friends. Granted, they didn't have romantic feelings for each other and it was television, but hey, it could still work.

"I'll think about it…"

* * *

"Whoa…back up a minute. You let a complete stranger into your house, let him hold your children, and basically agreed to move in with him all in the span of a few hours?" Abby asked, an incredulous expression on her face.

It was once again time for their brunch and Olivia knew what her friend's reaction would be before she even opened her mouth. She had considered not telling her but there hadn't been any secrets between them so far and she wouldn't start now.

"Have you gone crazy, Olivia? I mean really, if you need help with the twins, all you have to do is ask," Abby told her, her tone going sympathetic at the last part of her sentence.

"No, I haven't gone crazy. He's their father and if I should be getting help, it should be from him," she defended.

"And how do you know he's their father for certain. Millions of people have gray eyes and curly hair, Liv. I'm just saying," Abby told her as she reached for a muffin.

Shaking her head, Olivia pulled out her phone and unlocked it. She went to her camera app and pulled up a picture she had taken last night of Fitz holding the twins right before he put them to bed. He had stayed as long as he possibly could, changing more diapers, helping with feedings while she cooked them dinner, and he even rocked them to sleep. When they had gone down, he asked her various questions about her life, no doubt trying to get to know her, and upon leaving, he vowed he'd be back the next evening. She handed her phone to her best friend and watched her face transform.

"Ooooohhh…so when are you two getting married?" She asked, still staring at the picture.

"Two seconds ago you were calling him a crazed maniac that claims other people's children and now you want an invite to our wedding?" Olivia laughed, taking her phone back from the red head.

"That was before I saw him. You didn't say he was hot, Liv. This whole time I was picturing an old fat guy, not a toned, fined specimen of man that could grace the cover of GQ. Nor did you mention that Bennett looks exactly like him and while Lila favors you, you can tell that he's her father."

"I told you they had similar features, what did you think I meant by that? Anyways we're not getting married, and I'm not that keen on the idea of moving in together so fast either," Olivia told her, averting her eyes so that Abby couldn't see her true feelings on the subject.

"You like him don't you?" Her friend accused, narrowing her eyes.

"No!" Olivia responded a little too fast for it to be believable.

"You're right it's more than that, you _really_ like him," she assessed after studying her for a bit. "It's okay to have feelings for him Olivia. He is the father of your children after all. I just hope that you are careful not to get hurt again," Abby said, stretching her hand to Olivia's.

She didn't want to be reminded of her past relationships, namely the one with Edison. They were together for five years and he cheated on her for two before she finally ended it. It had been humiliating. She thought she was going to marry him, have his kids, and live happily ever after. But in hindsight, she was happy that she it didn't work out because her life wouldn't be nearly what it was today. Speaking of, the twins started to cry in their play pin, signaling the end of brunch.

"I know…I know," she told Abby, although it was more to herself.

* * *

The doorbell rang and Olivia felt the butterflies once again take residence in her belly. She didn't know why she still got nervous, he had been coming every day at the same time for two weeks now. But it never got old. Each time, her heart would flutter and her palms would get sweaty. Clicking on the baby swing, she left the twins to rock while she headed for the door. Checking her appearance in the mirror, she noted that she didn't look as tired as she did two weeks ago. She finger combed her hair and straightened her long sleeve tee before swinging open the door.

There he stood in all his glory. He was wearing a black v-neck, leather jacket, and jeans that hugged his ass in the best of ways. He had three plastic bags in his hands and she wondered what was in them. He saw her curiosity and smiled as if he had a juicy secret to tell. Olivia followed the curve of his mouth, noting how it transformed his entire face. She unconsciously licked her lips and invited him in.

Fitz didn't miss the glint in her eyes when she opened the door. Nor did he miss the answering emotions he felt in the pit of his stomach. Olivia Pope was one amazing woman. He'd watch the way she was with the kids, how she'd nibble on her bottom lip when she was thinking, or how she'd watch him when she thought he wasn't looking. There wasn't much that he missed about her but he still felt like there was lots to learn. And he intended on finding out everything.

"I come bearing gifts," Fitz told her as she shut the door.

"Oh yeah? What do you have?" She asked, following him into the living room.

"Hi Benny bear, hi Ladybug," Fitz greeted and bent to give each a kiss to their smiling faces.

They had grown so much in the two weeks Fitz had been in their lives. The clothes that fit perfectly a week ago now was a bit too snug and their faces were ever changing. Bennett was looking more and more like him every day and his little princess was just as beautiful as her mother. He missed this stage with Karen and Gerry, delegating pretty much everything to the nanny. He had never changed a diaper before that first day but now he was an old pro at it. Every time his little ones smiled at him, he felt a twinge of guilt for how he reacted to parenthood the first time. But he intended on correcting his mistakes and doing a way better job this time around.

Straightening up he faced Olivia, "I brought the ingredients to make the best meal you've ever had," he smiled and headed to the kitchen.

By now, he knew the layout of her apartment and was extremely familiar with her schedule and patterns. When he said that he wanted to get to know her, he wasn't joking. On the weekdays, he would come right there after work and wouldn't leave until around eleven. On the weekends, he'd show up first thing in the morning and stay all day. He helped her in any way he could, even convincing her that an outing to the park wouldn't do any harm. He pushed the stroller along and had even held her hand as they walked the path around the pond. That had been a great day and Fitz felt like they were truly a family.

Olivia took a seat on one of the bar stools on the island and watched him while he got to work. She realized that over the past two weeks, while he got to know her, she had yet to find out anything concrete about him. He pulled chicken breasts from the bag and began to rinse them off while Olivia asked him her first question.

"So, we've known each for two weeks now and you spend most of your time here. What does your wife think about that," she questioned not so subtly.

He chuckled as he rummaged through her seasoning cabinet, "I'm not married and before you ask, I don't have a girlfriend.

"No one at all? I find that hard to believe. A handsome guy like yourself must have all the girls vying for your attention," she half joked, but was secretly pleased that he had no other woman in his life.

Turning towards her, he looked at her straight in the eye and said, "Oh, they try, but right now, I have my eyes on someone and it won't be too long before I make her mine," he told her, never once breaking eye contact.

An all too pleasant shiver ran down Olivia's spine and she no doubt knew that he was talking about her. She turned away first, swiping invisible crumbs from the counter to avoid looking at him. He soon went back to seasoning the chicken, but the air between had changed. It was charged with sexual tension and anticipation of him fulfilling his goal of getting her. Unable to handle it, Olivia changed the subject.

"What do you do for a living?" she wondered, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.

Fitz seemed a little caught off guard, but answered her question nonetheless. "I'm the CEO of Grant and Associates. We are a law firm that mainly deals with corporate issues, very boring stuff. But it's been in the family for generations and so I didn't really have a choice but to take over. It's in my blood," Fitz said in a despondent, semi sarcastic tone.

"Doesn't sound like that's what you wanted to do," Olivia remarked, picking on the shift in his attitude.

Placing the seasoned chicken in the oven he turned to her, a smirk gracing his lips. "Would you believe that I wanted to be president? This wasn't some five year old ' what do you wanna be when you grow up' dream either. I was good at politics. I have a degree in political science and was class president at Harvard. I even had a seat on the city council. I went to law school because I knew that it would help in my career, but didn't think my father would use it against me. But now here I am. Technically I'm president of my company, does that count?" He asked in a sad tone.

Olivia felt the need to give him a hug, to take away that look of disappoint and failed dreams in his eyes. "I wanted to be a ballerina once. I was good too, but then I broke my ankle and I could never dance the same," she empathized.

"I could see it," he smiled as if picturing her twirling around the way ballet dancers do, " You're so graceful in the way you move and the sway of your hips when you walk…" he stopped, realizing he said too much.

Changing the subject again while also wanting to get some clarification on something, Olivia asked, "You said that you lived in Santa Barbara, but how did your sperm get here and why wasn't it stored somewhere only you could access."

Fitz hadn't really wanted to go to in depth to his past, but figured she deserved an answer. "Before Santa Barbara, I used to live here. That was another life, another time and anyways, now I'm back," he tried to keep his tone light, "As for my sperm, I guess I didn't think I'd ever need it after my vasectomy, so I figured I'd let someone else become a parent," he kept his answer relatively vague, still not ready to talk about Karen and Gerry

"So why now?" Olivia questioned, picking up on the fact that there was still a missing piece to the puzzle.

Just then, the timer went off, signaling that the chicken was ready to come out of the oven and saving him from answering her question.

"How about we just enjoy our meal and save this conversation for a later time," he asked, his tone light, but his eyes conveying that he really didn't want to go there.

Olivia decided to let it go for now, but knew that one way or the other, she'd get the truth. "Okay, sure, let's eat."

He paired the chicken with some wild rice, a light salad, and bread from the bakery down the street. They moved to the dinner room, bringing the sleeping babies still in the rocking swings along with them. Olivia had to admit, the food was delicious, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't telling her the complete truth about everything. The conversation remained casual, mainly about their hopes and dreams for Bennett and Lila's future.

As he always did when he was over, he helped bathe, change and feed them before putting them to bed. Once again he asked to stay the night, bribing her with the promise of waking up in the middle of the night to tend to the twins' need. And once again, Olivia declined, knowing that the temptation to do something she'd regret would be too great if she let him sleep just down the hall.

At the door, the two began saying their goodbyes. She helped Fitz with his jacket, smoothing the wrinkles that weren't even there as an excuse to run her hands over his torso. He seemed to understand her need to touch and a placed a hand lightly on her waist while she went to zip him up. She tried to keep her eyes from his, knowing it would be her downfall, but it was impossible. She looked up and the amount of desire she saw swimming in his gray depths took her breath away.

"I had a really nice time tonight," he told her, lowering his voice to a seductive tone and adding another hand to her hip.

"M-me too," Olivia stuttered as he used the leverage he had on her hips to pull her closer.

He smelled so good, so Fitz, that she couldn't help but lean into him. Their eyes never broke contact as he lifted a single crooked finger to her chin to tilt her face up to his. She could feel the heat of his breath and his nearness was causing her body to tremble. Her skin puckered into goose bumps and her nipples tightened despite the warm temperature of the room. This man made her body react like no other had and she wanted this kiss more than she needed the air in her lungs. His lips were millimeters away, taunting her with the promises of what was to come when the baby monitor went off.

The sound made Olivia jump back and the spell was broken. She was both thankful and disappointed for the interruption. She didn't know how she would have reacted if he would've kissed her or if she would have been able to tell him to stop.

"I, uh, I should go check to see what the matter is," Olivia stumbled, breaking his embrace and turning towards the hall as the crying got louder.

"I agree, but not before this," he told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her flush against his body.

This time, he didn't take it slow, his mouth crashed down on hers hot and hungry and oh, it felt so good. It only took Olivia a second to catch up to his intensity. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she was lost. He tasted of the wine they had with dinner and something so him that it couldn't be described. She twisted her fingers in his hair as he wound his arms around her in attempts to fuse her body to his. She never knew a kiss could be like this. It was intimate and sexy and she was instantly addicted to him. When she didn't think she could go another second without begging him to do more than just kiss her, he broke away. He trailed little kisses along her neck that made her moan until he finally reached her ear.

"See you tomorrow," he breathed into her ear before pecking her lips one last time.

And with that, he turned, opened the door, and walked out, shutting the door behind him. Olivia was in a daze from what just happened. She stood in that exact spot for some moments, staring at the door trying to gage what just happened. Her lips still tingled from his kiss and she wanted nothing more than to call him back so that he could kiss her again and again. But then the sound of crying once again registered in her ears and she was snapped back into reality. Taking a deep breath, she turned to go tend to her children.

* * *

**AN: So Fitz and Liv are in the getting to know you phase. Would you move in with him? What do you think about him being there all the time and is this about him replacing Karen and Gerry or actually being a father? Also, I will be bringing in more characters. David will be back, Cyrus and James will come as well, and you didn't think we could have a Scandal story without Mellie did you? Let me know what you think in a review bellow. **


	6. Guess Who

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal  
**

**AN: I just want to say thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. It really brightens up my day to know that you guys are enjoying my little story. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Olivia balanced the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she twisted the cap on the second bottle. She was talking to Abby, checking in on the office and trying to determine when the right time for her to go back to work was.

"Liv, we don't have a project that requires you right now, take your time," Abby tried to tell her.

To be honest, Olivia wasn't ready to go back to work just yet. She never thought that she'd be the stay at home type, but she also didn't want to have a nanny raise her children. Since she owned her own firm, she could delegate more tasks to her team and if need be, could work from home. She would only have to occasionally go to her client's office to finish up the final deal. This left her plenty of free time to be the mother that she never had.

"The twins' six week check- up is coming up soon, so I will probably start coming into the office again after that. Are you sure I'm not needed," she questioned, her workaholic tendencies starting to show.

"Yes, Liv. I promise to call if we need you," Abby chuckled, this being the tenth time telling Olivia that she wasn't needed.

"Well okay…" Olivia was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. "The doorbell rang, gotta go, love you," Olivia said and hung up after Abby responded in kind.

She glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw it was only 4 o'clock. She wasn't expecting Fitz for another hour, but he could have been here early. Olivia turned to Bennett and Lila who were reclining in their rockers on the island and they looked at her with a curious expression.

"Looks like Daddy is here early, let's go open the door," she cooed.

She unstrapped both and tucked them into her arms like little footballs while she went to go open the door. It had been a few days since their kiss and Olivia was still reeling from it. It was all she could think about. When he had come over the next day, he had just given her a peck on the lips. Olivia could tell that he was waiting for her to make the next move and she was on the verge of combusting. She made it to the door just in time for the doorbell to ring again.

"You're early today Fi-." The rest of her words died on her lips as she saw who was on the other side of the door.

There stood Jacqueline whatever- her- last-name- was- now in all her glory. Her mother looked like a prettier, snobbier version of Phylicia Rashad. She was wearing a puke green dress with matching blazer and sun glasses, looking like she just got out of church. But knowing her mother, the only time she was in a church was when she was getting married. Growing up, her mother was always hopping from one man to the next, falling in love with anyone with a big of enough wallet to satisfy her lavish lifestyle. Her father didn't fit the life Jacqueline was trying to live so she left him and Olivia behind. Throughout her childhood years, she only saw her mother once a month until her father died her sophomore year of high school. After that, she had to go live with her mother, but she might as well have been living by herself because her and her love interest at the time were always off somewhere.

"Mother," Olivia addressed her coldly.

"Whose children are those, Olivia?" her mother questioned as if the concept of them being Olivia's was ludicrous.

She hadn't spoken to Jacqueline in quite some time and was honestly surprised to see her here. She usually called before she just showed up for her yearly visit, and any time before that, Olivia wouldn't hear from her. She would've called to let her know that she had given birth, but she honestly didn't think that Jacqueline would care.

"Why don't you come in and meet your grandchildren," Olivia invited and stepped aside to let her in.

Jacqueline hesitantly entered the residence, taking her shades off as she eyed Bennett and Lila like they were aliens. Then something happened that Olivia could've never predicted. Jacqueline, miss ice queen herself, shed a tear.

"Am I really that horrible that you wouldn't tell me that I'm a grandmother?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

They sat down on the couch, Olivia still cradling her children while she contemplated her answer. "I don't know how to answer that. I mean, you were never really interested in being a mom so I didn't think you wanted to be a grandmother."

Her mother looked like she was really hurt by Olivia's words and she regretted being so blunt in her answer. In all honesty, she could have made an attempt to reach out to her mother, but Olivia really didn't want her children to face the same rejection that she faced when she was younger.

"When were they born? What are their names? Who is the father? Did you get married too?" Her mother's questions kept coming and Olivia took the next thirty minutes to answer all of them.

At some point in the conversation, Jacqueline even reached to hold them, commenting on how beautiful they were. And just like that, Bennett and Lila had her wrapped their little fingers. One gummy, dimple filled smile and the ice around Jacqueline's heart was melted.

"So this Fitz guy just showed up out the blue one day?" Jacqueline queried, one perfectly arched eyebrow raising.

"I know it's a little odd, but yes. He's been a really big help," Olivia replied, not being able to help the slight smile that formed at just the thought of him.

"I know that I'm not the best person to be giving relationship advice, but I just want you to be careful," her mother told her softly.

"Thank you, I will take that into consideration," Olivia mumbled, forcing herself not to tell her to take her own advice.

"I am still way too young to be called Grandma," Jacqueline said adamantly, earning an eye roll from Olivia. "How about Meme?" she asked, looking to her daughter for approval.

"Sure, whatever you want," taking a deep breath, Olivia asked the question burning on her tongue, "not that I'm not enjoying your visit, but you don't usually just drop by like this."

"Can't a mother visit her only child?" she asked innocently as she combed her fingers through Lila's soft curls. Olivia gave her a 'be serious' look and her mother rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm getting married again and was wondering if you wanted to be my maid of honor."

"You have got to be kidding me. What number is this? Six, seven?" Olivia scoffed.

"Well don't sound too excited. It's only my sixth," she said as if it wasn't a high number. "I really think he's the one. Richard is different from all the others, you'll see when you meet him."

This was the same thing that she heard over and over again her entire life, but Olivia had to admit that her tone was different when she was talking about this Richard guy. However, she still wasn't convinced that this marriage was going to last longer than the rest.

"Sure. Just tell me the time and the place and I'll be there," Olivia conceded with a tight lip smile.

They chatted for about an hour more, mainly about Bennett and Lila and the details of the wedding. Jacqueline made many promises to them that she had made Olivia at one point or another and she prayed that she would keep them. Even though they wouldn't remember it now, when they got older, if 'Meme' didn't show up when she said she would, it would crush them.

"Well, I better be going. I do want to meet this Fitz person, why don't you bring him as a date to the wedding?" She asked casually on the way to the door.

After Olivia promised to do just that, Jacqueline reluctantly handed Bennett and Lila back and left to go finalize some details for her upcoming nuptials. Seeing her mother made Olivia realize that she really did need to tread more carefully where Fitz was concerned. Although they were sharing more and more, she still didn't know much about him. Pulling out her phone, she dialed an old friend's number.

"Hey, Huck, I need you to do me a favor…"

* * *

Fitz was just getting back from taking care of work stuff outside of the office. It was nearing 5:30 and he was more than ready to see Liv and his children. He was grinning at just the thought of how he was going to spend his evening. Before them, he was the first one in and the last one to leave. Now, he was finding any excuse to not come in, to leave early, or to extend his lunch breaks to spend time with his family. His family. He really liked the sound of that. There had been a spring in his step ever since he kissed Olivia and he wanted nothing more than to do it again and again. But he was determined to go at her pace. Tonight, he was going to bring up moving in again and hoped that she'd give him more of a concrete answer.

"Hey Mary, any calls for me?" Fitz asked his secretary as he passed by her desk.

"No, but there is a Ms. Millicent Rosemore waiting in your office," she said, not looking up from her computer screen.

If she had, she would've seen the look of absolute disgust that came over Fitz's face. He hadn't heard from her since the divorce and couldn't imagine what she wanted after over a year of silence. He mentally prepared himself to deal with her before entering his office.

"What are you doing here Mellie?" Fitz asked, skipping over the niceties.

She was wearing a navy dress, her hair in a perfect chignon and her heels were just oozing expense. There was not a hair out of place. When she turned towards him, Fitz saw that she was holding a picture of him, Olivia, and the twins in her hand. It was a recent one, they were cuddled up together on Olivia's couch and his arm was slung around her shoulder while the other one extended out so that he could capture the moment on film.

"That didn't take you long did it?" The anger in her voice didn't match the smile on her face.

"What are you talking about?"

"To replace Karen and Gerry. She's pretty," she commented, referring to Olivia. "And look at that, you got two for the price of one. A boy and a girl. I have to admit, they are adorable," she complimented but it sounded more like an insult.

"I doubt that you came to discuss my personal life, or did you? Again, what are you doing here?"

A perplexing look came across Mellie's face before she asked, "I thought you got a vasectomy. How were you able to father children?"

"That is none of your business. Now state what you want or leave," Fitz responded, his tone relaying his annoyance.

She set the picture back down on his desk, cocking her head to the right, smiling her award winning smile and saying, "I need you to do me a favor…"

* * *

It was nearing eight when Fitz finally reached Olivia. He felt as if he had just sold his soul to the devil and really didn't want to think about what he just agreed to do. He just wanted to snuggle his babies and kiss his woman. Knocking on the door, he waited patiently for Olivia to answer. When she did, he knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Are you ok, Livi? Are the babies ok?" He asked, really concerned as she let him in.

When they reached the living room, the tension between them was thick in the air. He could tell by her demeanor that it was something that he did that was weighing heavy on her. A slew of things ran across his mind, the biggest one being that Mellie somehow found out who she was and did something to jeopardize their budding relationship.

"Livi…?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you had a family? That you had two children, a wife, a home, an entire life before us?" Olivia questioned, staring at him dead on.

Fitz could feel his heart sink. He wanted to be the one to tell her, he knew that he should've already, but just couldn't find the words. He wondered how she got this information, but right at this moment, it really didn't matter.

"I didn't know how to," he tried to explain, dropping his head in shame.

"How about just opening your mouth? Is that what this has been about? You trying to redeem yourself as a parent? Are you using Bennett and Lila as a surrogate Karen and Gerry?"

"What? No, of course not," he replied, hoping that she believed him.

"How long until the novelty of playing Daddy wears off and you leave?" She knew that it wasn't a fair question, but her anger was dictating her words.

"I love them. I would never leave them like that," his tone was stern and he looked her in the eyes for the first time since they started this conversation.

"Then why would you keep something like this from me?" Vexation was rising with every word she spoke.

"How do you tell someone that you are responsible for your children's deaths? That you were a terrible parent that relied on other people to raise your kids? I couldn't find the right words. I knew you would think that I was trying to replace Karen and Gerry and I didn't want to see that look on your face," his tone fell at the last few words.

"What look?"

"That one. The one of both pity and disgust at how I could be so careless as to cause the accident that killed my children," he said, gesturing his hands towards her face.

Most of Olivia's anger dissipated when she realized that that was exactly what she was thinking. "Fitz…all I asked from you was to be honest. By hiding something like this from me, especially after everything that I've told you…I just… I think you should leave."

"Leave? What about Lila and Bennett?" There was a fear in his eyes at the prospect of never seeing them again.

"I won't keep them from you…not after you losing Karen and Gerry. But I need some time to evaluate where we go from here and I think you need some time to figure out your motives for wanting to be in their lives."

"Can I at least go in and so goodnight to them?"

Olivia nodded and let him go to the nursery so that he could have a minute alone with the twins. She didn't know how long this hiatus was going to last. She knew that she wouldn't keep him away for too long, but she really didn't want him to one day get tired of being a father. From what Huck told her, his children were in a boarding school since they were of age and only came home on important holidays and summer vacation. She didn't want the same for her kids and would do everything in her power to keep them from getting hurt.

Fitz came back out ten minutes later, wordlessly telling her how sorry he was. "You have my number. Call me when I can come back."

He kissed her on the cheek before heading towards the door, "I am really sorry that I didn't say anything earlier. Please don't hold this against me. We were heading somewhere before this and I hope this doesn't change things too much," he tried one last time.

Olivia just nodded, confirming that she heard him, and he dropped his head in defeat. Sighing, he opened the door and walked out. When he was gone, Olivia felt the tears welling up. Her heart was breaking and she wasn't sure why seeing as how this was her choice. While she still had her reservations, she knew that she was losing out by putting him on this hiatus as much as he was.

* * *

**AN: Hmmm...so what is Mellie up to now? And what do you guys think of Olivia's mother. The truth about Karen and Gerry is finally out, but does the truth always set you free? Right now, its not looking like it. Tell me what you thought it a review below. Till next time...**


	7. An affair to remember

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.**

**AN: So this is the next chapter. In this chapter, we get to see what Mellie was up to, Fitz and Liv interact, and there is some mother daughter bonding time. Happy reading :)**

* * *

It had been a week since she told Fitz that she needed space and time did not take pity on her. As the days passed, she missed him more than she was mad at him for hiding the truth. In retrospect, she could understand his hesitation to share his past, but that wasn't the problem. The issue was that she didn't know why he wanted to be a parent. She figured his motives weren't the same now as when he first sought them out, but she needed to hear that from him. She was at the end of her rope, and decided that she'd give him a call after her mother's wedding.

When her mother said that she was getting married, Olivia figured that she meant in a few months. Nope. She was getting married in two days. Luckily, the only thing Olivia had to do was get fitted for her dress and find little outfits for Bennett and Lila. She was a little leery about bringing them to the wedding, but her mother insisted upon her grandchildren being a part of the ceremony.

She had invited her mother and Richard over for dinner so that she could meet her new stepfather before the big day and they were set to arrive any minute now. She put the last of dinner on the table, a simple lasagna, salad, and breadsticks, and went back for the wine. She set the twins up in their swings by the table and a minute later, the doorbell rang.

Opening the door she was greeted by her mother and a suave, older white man. "Hello, please come in," Olivia greeted and stepped aside.

"Liv, this is Richard, Richard, this is my daughter Olivia," Jacqueline introduced as they made their way to the dining room. "And those adorable little beings are my grandbabies Lila and Bennett," she motioned to their sleeping forms in their rocking swings

He gave Olivia a kind smile and offered his hand. She shook and was pleased that he had a firm handshake. So far, so good. They took their seats and each got their food. Richard surprised Olivia by offering to say a blessing. The men that Jacqueline usually went for weren't exactly religious. When he was done, they started eating in awkward silence before Richard started up a conversation.

"So, Olivia, what do you do?" He asked politely.

She told him and he seemed genuinely interested. She figured it wasn't an act, as she was too old for her mother's suitors to try to gain her affections to get into her mother's good graces. The conversation flowed after that and Olivia could tell that Richard really loved her mother and vice versa. For some reason, the sight made her heart ache for Fitz. Maybe she would give him a call tonight.

At the end of the evening, Olivia walked the couple to the door, each saying how they couldn't wait for the wedding. She was sincerely happy for her mother and hoped that this time was the last time. When they were gone, Olivia went to put the twins to bed. She rocked them a little, promising them that their daddy was going to come back soon.

In the past week, she realized how selfish she was being in regards to the children. While she was concerned with Fitz's motives, she could obviously see that he loved the twins and that this was not about replacing Karen and Gerry. She could admit that it hurt her that he would hide his past after she had been so open and that it wasn't fair to keep him away from his children. Her feelings were invested in this man and so the first sign that something was amiss, she used that as an excuse to run. After looking back, she could see why he hesitated to tell her something so painful so soon. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was too late to call him tonight, but she'd do it soon. If her mother could find true love, then maybe she could too.

* * *

The next day was extremely hectic between the rehearsal itself, the rehearsal dinner, and last minute duties, Olivia barely had time to breathe. The twins spent the day with Abby, Stephen and Vivian while she got everything that she needed to get done for the next day.

Fitz was never far from her thoughts. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't help but think about his proposal and that if she had said yes, this could be her day. She envied the older couple as they practiced coming down the aisle.

Most of her life, she resented her mother for how she parented and becoming a mother herself, those feelings only got deeper. She didn't understand how a parent wouldn't want to be with their child as much as possible, but these last few days were showing promise. Hopefully they were turning over a new leave. Either way, she wasn't going to hold her breath hoping for a brand new relationship.

That night, in her mother's hotel room, they did what they always did the night before her wedding. They gave each other mani pedis, drank sparkling cider, and caught up on all the things they missed from the months of not talking. It was a shame that this had become a tradition, but Olivia had to admit, she did look forward to these nights. It was the only time they truly bonded.

"So Liv, when am I going to meet this man of yours?" her mother asked, not for the first time, as they sipped from their glasses.

"Maybe when you come back from your honeymoon," she replied, keeping it vague. She had to work things out with him before she brought in the train wreck that was her mother.

There was a silence and then, "I'm sorry," Jacqueline stated simply.

"What are you sorry for?" Olivia had never heard that word come from her mother's mouth.

"For not being there for you when you were younger. Even now, I'm not really there. Hell, I didn't even know you were pregnant until two weeks ago. I see the way you are with your kids and…"she paused, getting choked up, "I regret missing those moments with you."

She wiped away stray tears and Olivia had to hold back her own tears from falling. An apology was all that she wanted. This is what she had waited for for thirty four years and now that she had it, she could finally breathe a little easier.

"Thank you so much for saying that. I'm sorry as well. I could've reached out to you, but I chose not to. How about we make a deal? How about we agree to let go of the past and do better in the future?"

"I'd like that very much," Jacqueline told her, wiping away more tears and leaning in for a hug. Their relationship would never be perfect, but this was a start.

* * *

Fitz was really, really not looking forward to this wedding. He only agreed to go to it with Mellie because she guilt tripped him into it. She knew how to push his buttons, and knew how to push them well. All she had to do was mention the car crash and he was agreeing to whatever she wanted. That's how she ended up with the ranch and a sizeable alimony check every month. But he'd have to put a stop to letting her lord that over him. While he would always love Karen and Gerry and would think about them every day, he couldn't dwell anymore. He had to move on from that chapter and into a new one with Liv and the twins.

"Why are we doing this again?" Fitz questioned Mellie as they left the keys to the valet.

"Richard is one of my father's oldest friends, practically an Uncle to me. How would it look if I showed up dateless?" She asked in typical Mellie fashion.

"I just don't want to send people the wrong message. We are not, nor will we ever be getting back together." He wanted to make that point _very_ clear.

"I know that Fitzgerald. I don't want you back, and from that picture on that desk, I can clearly see that you've moved on. I just needed a date and as much as I hate to inflate your ego, you can fill out a tux rather well," she joked awkwardly.

Fitz wasn't sure whether to laugh, say thank you, or to run for the hills. All he knew was that this was the last favor that he'd ever do for Millicent Rosemore.

"Let's go take our seats," he told and guided her inside the church.

Not too long after, the music started to play and the groomsmen and bridesmaids started filing in. One by one they came but it was the last couple that gave Fitz pause. Olivia, his Livi, was walking down the aisle on the arm of the best man, Mellie's father, looking absolutely breathtaking. She wore a one strap, off the shoulder flowing red dress that looked radiant against her skin tone. Her hair was in a messy, but put together bun and he had to stop himself from calling out her name.

When she made it to the altar, another person came behind her pulling a hand crafted white wagon. In it, nestled against soft pillows, were his Benny bear and Ladybug wearing the cutest little tux and dress. He hadn't seen them in over a week and a lump formed in his throat as he saw them getting pulled down the aisle. Everyone was oohing and awing at how cute they were and he felt a huge surge of fatherly pride. He wished that he was sitting at the end so that he could get a better look, but even this glimpse was better than the nothing he had for the past ten days.

"I didn't know that your family was going to be here," Mellie whispered as 'here comes the bride' started playing.

"Neither did I," Fitz replied, staring straight at Olivia, praying that she'd look his way.

They stood and the bride came in and met her groom. His confusion about Olivia's association to the bride was cleared up as the older woman made her way to the altar. The two women looked alike and it didn't take a genius to see that they were mother and daughter. The limited information her knew about the relationship, he would say it was strained at best. But at this point, he could careless, he was just happy that he was in the same place as Olivia.

They exchanged vows and for a billion dollars, he wouldn't be able to tell someone one word of what was said. His entire focus was Olivia and his children who were still in the wagon next to her. He impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for the ceremony to end.

"You really love her don't you," Mellie stated, not a question but an observation.

He knew that he had feelings for her, but he never put a title on them. To be honest, he didn't know what love for another woman felt like. He thought at one point that he loved Mellie, but then Olivia came and blew that out of the water. Upon one look, one word, he was lost. He fought it for as long as possible, reasoning that those were regular feelings for the mother of your children. But this time apart really opened his eyes to how much he wanted, no needed her in his life.

Finally the ceremony was over and it was time to head over to the reception. He waited for what seemed like forever for the wedding party to come to the reception hall after taking their pictures. He couldn't wait to see Olivia and his twins. Finally the music started playing and they started coming in, Bennett and Lila snuggled in their mother's arms. He sat through the first dance, and since Richard had no children, he did a father daughter dance with Olivia. He'd never been so jealous in all his life. Finally, the formalities were done and everyone was able to enjoy the party how they saw fit until dinner. He only had one goal in mind. Excusing himself from Mellie, he headed over to the main table.

* * *

The reception was going swimmingly, but Olivia's mind was elsewhere. She had an odd feeling the entire day and couldn't place what it was. She figured it was just nerves for the conversation she planned on having with Fitz tomorrow. Trying to distract herself, she watched her mother twirl on the dance floor with her new husband. Out of her peripheral, she saw a broad shape approaching her and when she turned to face whoever it was, her heart stopped. She never knew a tux could look so damn good.

"Hi," his deep voice boomed and washed over her in the sweetest of ways. What this man could do to her with a simple word.

"Hi," she smiled back, a little confused, but so happy to see him.

"May I have this dance?" he asked and put his hand out.

She accepted and he took Lila and Bennett so that she could stand up. She immediately felt guilty when she saw him tear up as he cooed to them, telling them how much he missed them. Bennett grabbed at his nose and Fitz pretended to eat his fingers, earning a gummy smile from the little boy. Lila grunted, apparently jealous of the attention her brother was getting, and Fitz played the same game with her.

They made their way over to the dance, each holding a baby between them as they moved in slow circles to the music.

"I missed you," Fitz admitted, being the first to talk.

"We missed you, too. I missed you, too." She whispered, being completely vulnerable.

And that was that. Even though they still needed to talk, right now, she just wanted to be with him. Seeming to read her mind, he leaned down until his lips could brush against hers. It was the sweetest feeling in the world. His soft lips parted and he gently eased his tongue into her mouth. The kiss was slow and while it lacked the aggression of the first one, it was no less passionate. She had to remember that they were in public and that Lila and Bennett were between them. But it was so hard when angled his head and took the kiss deeper. Finally, someone cleared their throat and brought reality back. To her utter embarrassment, it was her mother and Richard

"So this is the man that has my daughter so smitten," her mother smiled, obviously approving of Fitz.

"Mom, Richard, this is Fi-," she was cut off.

"Fitzgerald. I didn't know that you were going to be here," Richard said while holding a hand out for Fitz to shake.

"It was a last minute favor to Mellie, I had no idea that you were marrying Olivia's mother," Fitz responded, shaking the older man's hand.

"You have a beautiful family. It's nice to see you getting your life back on track," Richard said good naturedly.

"I'm a little confused. You two know each other," Olivia cut in.

"Uh, yes. This is Mellie's, my ex -wife, father's longtime friend and business associate. I am here as her date. Strictly as a favor. No more than that," he tried to reassure her.

The newlyweds could sense that a much needed conversation was in store and offered to take the twins so that they could have said conversation without distractions. Once they were alone and off the dance floor, Olivia turned to Fitz with a questioning gaze.

"Do you make a habit out of doing favors for your ex-wife?" she asked, not angrily, more like she just wanted to know.

"No, not since we've been divorced. She showed up last week and asked me to attend the wedding. I would've told you, but with all that happened…anyways, this is nothing more than a favor that I was guilt tripped into agreeing to."

"Okay," she said, believing him, "I still want to meet her though."

Fitz let out groan that made Olivia chuckle. This woman couldn't be that bad. "She's really not that interesting," he tried to dissuade her.

"Nonsense. She was your wife after all. It's not like I want to be her best friend, I just want to meet someone from your life before us," she said, making light of the situation.

"If we must…" he grumbled and led her to his table.

Olivia was surprised by how pretty Mellie was. From the way Fitz was acting, she thought she was going to have a long nose, warts, and ride a broomstick. Mellie looked up from her phone just as they were arriving to the table.

"Livi, this Mellie, Mellie, this is Olivia." He introduced and stepped back a little from the battle he was sure was going to ensue.

"It is very nice to meet you," Olivia told her and offered her hand. Mellie took it and in return, offered her and Fitz a seat.

"Well, well, well," Mellie began and Fitz winced for what was to follow, "this is the woman that captured Fitz's heart. I must say Fitzy, you could've done worse." And to anyone who knew Mellie, they knew that that was the highest compliment they could hope to receive.

"I am quite taken with him as well." Even though it was directed towards Mellie, Olivia's eyes were on Fitz.

"I'm happy that he found a bit of happiness with you. He deserves it. He really beat himself up for the accident and I'm happy he can start to forgive himself," she said sincerely. "And those babies of yours are too cute," she gushed.

"Who are you and what have you done with my ex-wife?" Fitz joked.

"I'm not all bad. Plus those alimony checks keep me really satisfied these days," she joked and all three laughed.

They spent the next half hour chatting, the two women comparing notes on Fitz and Fitz trying to defend himself as best as possible. He was glad to see that Mellie was on the road to no longer being the bitter woman he divorced. He could let go some more of his guilt over thinking that she was living a miserable life. Dinner was being served and Mellie consented to Fitz leaving her to go sit at the head table with Olivia. But no before a word.

"I really like her Fitz, and I meant what I said. I've been seeing a therapist and it's not healthy to resent you for the rest of my life. Maybe one day we can be friends," she offered, catching Fitz completely off guard.

"Maybe…"

* * *

The evening was winding down and it was time for one last dance. All the couples went to dance floor including Fitz and Olivia. He held her close to him as some Brian McKnight tune played in the background. He hands were wrapped tight around her waist and hers were around his neck. She laid her head on his chest and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Those three little words bubbled to her lips and to keep from saying them, she brought his mouth down to hers.

She poured everything she wanted to say into that kiss, hoping to convey all she was feeling. He groaned low in his throat and all but devoured her mouth. Her fingers twisted in his curls as she brought him closer. The entire world faded away and the only thing that mattered was the glide of his lips, the slide of his tongue, and the grip of his hands.

Pulling away to catch her breath, she said the only thing that she could in a moment like this. "Okay."

"Okay…what?" he wondered, obviously confused.

"Ok, you can move in."

* * *

**AN: See, Mellie isn't so bad after all. A lot happened in this chapter, tell me what you thought and your predictions for what is to happen in a review below.**


	8. Tears, Parties, and Revelations

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal. But how great was that episode last Thursday?**

**AN: So this chapter is kinda long, sorry, I was really wordy. Anyways, here it is, so, enjoy :).**

* * *

"Ummmm…no. No, no, no…" Olivia wailed, the no's in quick succession.

"What? It's cool." Fitz told her as he brought in the cue sticks.

"Yeah, for a bachelor pad. Tell them to stop. There's no room for that anyways," She told him, about to go tell the movers exactly where they could put the giant pool table.

Today was the moving day and so far, things were going smoothly. They had hired a crew to bring all of Fitz's things to either her place or a storage center so all they had to do was unpack. Thankfully the twins were sleeping so it was easier for Olivia to supervise everything that was coming in. Especially the big pool table that Fitz was trying to sneak in.

"I was thinking that the guest room could turn into my man cave," he offered and gave her a smile that she rarely said no to.

"And where exactly would you sleep?" She questioned, hands on her hips.

"With you of course," he replied with a sly smile and snuck a finger into the waistband of her leggings to pull her closer.

She was a goner. As soon as his lips touched hers, she was ready to let him have whatever space he wanted. He knew his lips were her weakness and over the last few days, he exploited it many times. Not that she was complaining.

"Isn't that a tad presumptuous?" she mumbled against his mouth.

"Not really." And to prove his point, he nibbled on the spot on her neck that made her moan each and every time.

He trailed kisses back to her lips and when he captured hers again, she couldn't even remember where she was. One of the movers cleared their throats and the two reluctantly separated. When she saw what they had in their hands, Olivia gave Fitz an 'are you serious' look.

"There is no way in hell that is going in _my _living room," Olivia huffed, staring at the leather monstrosity.

"But Livi, it's my favorite recliner, I've had it for years," he pled and pulled her in closer to try and bribe her again.

"No to the pool table and no to the chair. There's no room," she said, finality in her voice, and moved out of his evil clutches.

"But I thought you said make myself at home. What did you expect me to bring?" He asked seriously.

"You know...your clothes, some pictures, and a few knick knacks. Not your entire house," she told him, her voice rising at the end.

The movers overheard their conversation and began moving the chair back to the truck with the pool table. "There was plenty of room for my stuff, your stuff, and the twins' stuff at my place. And I wouldn't have made you sleep in the guest room," he said with a sly smile.

"Babies need structure and familiar surroundings. It's in all the books," she half lied.

The real reason that she didn't want to move was because she was scared. What if they didn't work out? She would be out of a place with two young children. She didn't see him ever putting them out, but still, being in her place granted her some insurance.

The movers continued to move stuff in and Fitz gave her _the _look. Dropping his voice an octave and nuzzling her neck, he begged, "Livi…can I pretty please have my recliner."

"No. That's my final answer," she said as sternly as she could with him sucking on her pulse point.

"Wanna bet?"

* * *

Fitz grinned like the Cheshire cat as he settled a little deeper into his recliner with Lila and Bennett in each arm. He was watching some basketball game, rooting for a team that she couldn't even hope to name. The recliner was a bit of an eyesore next to her cream furniture, but the man had great bargaining skills. Not only did he make her weak with his kisses, but he also threw in two weeks of getting up at night and a whole month of diaper duty. There was no way Olivia was going to pass that up.

She had to admit that he looked right at home and she felt a sense of security having him there just in case anything was to happen. She knew that she made the right choice by letting him move in and hoped that this conversation they were about to have further cemented that feeling.

"Fitz, we need to talk," Olivia approached, sitting on the couch and folding one leg under the other.

Fitz turned down the volume on the television and gave her his full attention. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

Taking a deep breath, she asked the most important question. "When you initially started looking for us and after you found us, did you do so with intentions of replacing Karen and Gerry?"

"To be completely honest, I'm not sure. I think a part of me did, while another part of me was looking for redemption for being such a horrible parent before. But the majority of me just wanted to be a dad again. I just wanted to hold a little being and have them look at me like I hung the moon. I liked being someone's dad, and while it wasn't perfect, I liked being part of a family. I was just trying to get that back."

"And now?"

"And now I can't picture my life without them. I got so much more than what I bargained for. I went in expecting one child and got two wonderful little creatures that I love more than life…and I got you," he said and the emotion in his voice conveyed exactly what he was trying to say. "And you are definitely more than anything I could have bargained for," he added with a chuckle to lighten the mood.

That was what she needed to hear. She needed to know that he wasn't doing this out of guilt or some crazy obsession. She needed to hear that he loved the twins and that he wasn't going to leave when he was tired of playing Daddy.

"Tell me about them," she said simply, curious about his previous life.

A light came in his eyes that was slightly dulled with pain when the reality of the situation hit. "Karen…Karen was so beautiful. She was funny, too, and smart. She was quiet like Bennett, always thinking before acting or speaking. She was a girly girl, pink this, boy bands that. But she was also tough and would stand up for herself when needed. Gerry on the hand, you couldn't get him to stop talking if you paid him. He was a good soul, always helping his sister and never leaving her behind like some older brothers did. He had eyes like Lila, a look of amusement always in them. He tried to find the good in every situation…at least until it was time to go back to boarding school. Then the light in his eyes vanished and he'd go really quiet…" He stopped at that point, shutting down some. He kissed Lila then Bennett in an effort to keep the tears at bay.

Olivia decided that she wouldn't bring them up anymore tonight, but if he wanted to talk, then she'd be more than willing to listen. He just needed comfort. She couldn't imagine the pain he went through. She freaked out at the thought of Bennett rolling of the changing table, she couldn't imagine them dying. Getting up, she went and took Lila from him then sat in his lap. With his free arm, he held her close then buried his face in her neck. She felt his tears start to wet her skin and she could tell he was trying to keep it together.

"It's okay, let it out. I'm here, it's just me. You don't have to be strong right now. Let me be here for you," she whispered quietly and he let the dam break.

He sobbed heavily into her neck, asking God why he took his babies from him. It broke Olivia's heart and she almost shed a few tears herself. But she needed to be strong for him. She ran her hand through his hair and held him as close as the current position would allow. He let out deep, guttural cries that signified that he had held it in for way too long. He muttered "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," over and over and Olivia knew he was talking to Karen and Gerry.

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," was the only thing she could say in a moment like this.

Eventually, his tears started to ebb and after the occasional hiccup, he quieted completely. He wiped his face on his sleeves and turned his watery eyes to Olivia. She saw a mix of emotions in them as he silently thanked her for letting him finally break down.

"Do you think they forgive me?" he asked, his voice still tight from the tears he shed.

"I think that they know that you didn't do anything purposely, so there is nothing to forgive. Right now, they're looking down on you, happy that you have finally started to forgive yourself."

To that he just nodded, still trying to get himself together. That sat together, all four of them, in silence for what seemed like hours. She knew that he needed to have them close. They twins' eyes started to droop and they began to get a little fussy. She got up, reaching for Bennett, about to put them to bed but Fitz stopped her.

"I'll put them to bed tonight…I just…I need," he stumbled on his words.

"I get it."

* * *

A few days later, Fitz walked into the kitchen to find Liv and the babies already dressed, looking like they were going somewhere. Olivia was wearing a pink sun dress with a thin white belt around her waist and a matching white cardigan. Her hair was in a high bun with her bangs swept to the side. Even with her face free of makeup, she was still the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. She was taking a bottle out of the microwave and putting another one in when she noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Good morning," he smiled, giving each a kiss, Olivia's a little longer than the others.

"Morning. You seem to be in a good mood today," she noted as she tested the temperature of the milk on her wrist.

"How can I not be, I got to wake up to you guys this morning," he said and leaned in for another kiss. "Are you going somewhere today?"

"Actually yes. Remember I told you it was my goddaughter Vivian's birthday today?" she asked, getting the other bottle out of the microwave.

"Oh, that's right," he feigned remembrance.

"Anyways, they're having a small get together at noon, but I still haven't gotten her a gift. So I was going to stop by Toys 'R' Us before heading over there."

"Can I come?" he queried, not sure if she had extended an invitation before or not.

"Uh, sure," she replied, a little caught off guard. "I didn't think a little girl's birthday party was your scene."

"Anywhere you are is my scene," he said with an exaggerated smile

"Flattery will get you nowhere Mr. Grant. That pool table is still not coming in this house," she replied with an eye roll.

"Darn."

* * *

They spent half an hour in the doll section trying to decide which Barbie and which accessories to buy for Vivian. Fitz was not looking forward to this stage, but he had to admit, he'd buy the whole toy store if Lila asked. Finally they decided on cruise ship Barbie and they bought the boat to go with it. On the way to Abby's, Olivia briefed Fitz on everything that he needed to know on her friends. Seeing as how there weren't that many, it wasn't that hard for him to remember the information.

"Ok, so Cyrus was once married to your mom but turned out to be gay and now he's married to James and they have a daughter Ella," he recited to make sure he had it right.

"Correct. And Lisa…"she tested.

"Lisa is the receptionist at the fertility clinic that you went to and…"he stopped, not knowing any more than that.

"And she is now dating one of my team members, Harrison," she filled in.

"Right. Right. Then there's Huck, another one your team members and he's not dating anyone. And finally, there's Abby, Stephen, and Vivian. Who, by the way, I'm surprised I haven't met by now since you're over there every week."

"Well you get to meet them now. Are you nervous?" she teased, knowing that the men in her life were going to give him a hard time. Especially Huck.

"No. Who wouldn't love me?" he teased back but when they locked gazes, the emotion was anything but teasing. Who wouldn't love him indeed.

Before they could explore it any deeper, they were pulling up outside of the Finch resident. It was a nice two story colonial that was on a tree lined street near the best schools in the county. Fitz had to admit it was a nice place to raise a family and was curious about the real estate nearby. Cars lined the driveway and nerves started to settle in for both of them. Fitz wanted her friends to like him. This relationship was important to him and he wanted to learn more about her through the people that she's with every day. Olivia wanted her friends to like Fitz as well. They hadn't liked her ex Edison, seeing something in him that she hadn't seen herself. She trusted their opinion more because of it, but she wasn't sure what she'd do if they saw those qualities in Fitz.

"Can I ask you a question?" Fitz's deep voice penetrated her train of thought as they worked to get the twins' out of their car seats.

"Did you forget a name again?" she chuckled.

"No. I was wondering…what are you going to introduce me as? Your friend, father of your children, your sperm donor, roommate…boyfriend?" he asked, the last one having a hopeful tone.

"Well you are definitely more than just my sperm donor, and while we're friends, we're more than that. Do you want to be my boyfriend?" she questioned nervously.

"I definitely don't want anyone else filling the position. But the word boyfriend seems so…"he paused to find the right word.

"Trivial? High school?" Olivia filled in as they headed to the front door.

"Exactly. How about I'm the guy you're dating," he came up with, then thinking of something else, he added, "exclusively."

"Ok," she agreed and rang the bell.

Moments later, the door was opening with Abby on the other side. She was all smiles with her cone birthday hat on. Motherhood suited Abby. During her pregnancy, she was so afraid that she'd be a failure because she didn't have her mother to guide her like other women did. But as soon as Vivian was born, she took to it extremely well. Olivia hoped she could be half the parent she was.

"Hi, Liv. Hi, whoa," she stopped as she looked at Fitz, "Liv, you failed to mention that he looks even hotter in person," Abby half whispered, putting a hand to the side of her mouth to make it look like she was telling a secret.

"Abby!" Olivia feigned indignation, then made the same hand gesture and half whispered, "at least not in front of him. I'll tell you later on what he looks like without a shirt," she joked and added a wink for effect.

"What am I, a piece of meat?" Fitz pretended to be appalled, but struck a pose, flexing his muscles to give Abby something to really gawk at.

"I like him," Abby assessed before turning and heading back to the party.

"Score one for Fitz."

* * *

The points he gained from Abby were quickly taken away as he was cornered by the men in Olivia's life. As soon as he entered the house, they pulled him aside and told Olivia to go mingle. They all had there arm's crossed, legs apart, and scowls on their faces. Their grimaces, however, were cancelled out because each was wearing a party hat, something that Abby made everyone wear, with purple tassels coming out the top. Fitz had to fight back the laughter from the picture they made. Although, the one they called Huck was actually very intimidating in an 'I'll kill you' sort of way.

"So Fitzgerald, what are your intentions with my Olivia?" Cyrus questioned, being the first one to speak.

"Well, we just started dating so the main thing is to be good parents while also making time to get to know each other as a couple. Beyond that, I don't plan on leaving anytime soon." He gave his best answer, but by their faces, they weren't impressed.

"So you plan on leaving later?" Harrison was the next one to interrogate him.

"No, that's not what I meant." Fitz refused to sweat in front of these guys.

"Are you a cheater, Fitzgerald? The last person that Olivia brought around was a cheater. What about you?" Stephen's question was somewhat of a surprise.

"Please, call me Fitz," he requested, trying to break the tension.

"Answer the question, _Fitzgerald_," Stephen demanded, dragging out the name.

"No. I have never cheated nor do I ever intend to. Any more questions?" Fitz wondered, looking around the semicircle of men.

"Just one," and this time, the voice was Huck's.

Fitz tensed up and waited for the question to be asked. "Do you love her?"

Fitz pondered this question for a few moments. He had been toying with those words in his head for weeks now. Everything in him screamed _yes_, but the more rational part of him said that it was way too early for those types of feelings. But whenever he saw her, his stomach clenched, his palms got sweaty, and his heart beat triple time in his chest. Living with her just further cemented those feelings and he could say without a doubt that he loved her.

"I do," he said simply and all the men nodded their heads, accepting his answer as truth.

"You're not so bad, Fitz. In fact, I just might like you. Now let's get back to the party," Stephen told him and as each man passed Fitz, they gave him a 'welcome to the club' pat on the shoulder.

When Huck passed, he stopped and with deadly seriousness said, "If you hurt her, I'll drill holes in knees so that you'll never be able to walk again," then patted his back as the others had.

"That wasn't so bad," Fitz mumbled to himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

* * *

"I believe I was promised a full description of a shirtless Fitz. I mean, if he looks that good in a polo and khakis, I can only imagine…" Abby piped in.

All the women, and James, were sitting outside on the deck, gossiping as women usually did when they got together. The beginning of the conversation was geared towards children, then naturally took a turn to relationships. Stephen and Abby were planning a trip, Lisa thought that Harrison was hinting at marriage, and James and Cyrus were talking about adopting another baby. Then all eyes turned to Olivia.

"Spill it, Liv. We all want to know what that Greek god looks like sans clothing," Lisa chimed in, her full attention on the upcoming answer.

"Okay, okay. So the other morning, I was heading to the kitchen and he was coming out the bathroom having just taken a shower," Olivia paused to let that visual sink in, "his towel was wrapped haphazardly around his waist and…"she stopped and James nearly fell off his seat because he was listening so hard.

"Don't stop now, continue, continue," James urged.

"His chest was still wet and little droplets of water clung to the hair covering his well-toned pecs. And we're not even going to mention his abs," she smirked.

"Mention them, please mention them," Abby pleaded.

"Full on six pack. Like, you can bounce a dime off his stomach," she flaunted and loved the looks of envy she got from the others.

"You're so lucky. I've been trying to get Cyrus to go to gym for ages now," James complained.

"My man has a pretty nice body, but it's still nice to hear about yours," Lisa added.

"And you didn't pull his towel off and do him right there in the hallway?" Abby asked, sounding as if she thought Olivia was crazy for not doing so.

"I seriously thought about it, but I had the twins with me," she told them.

"Ugh, children are such blockers. I can't tell you how many times Vivian has ruined the mood between me and Stephen. I love her to death, but let me tell you, a little Benadryl at bed time never hurt anyone," Abby shared.

"Abby! I'm not going to drug my children so that I can have sex with their father." That was taking things a little too far, but Olivia had to admit that desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I've done it to Ella a few times, but she loves the taste of it so it's a win win," James admitted.

"Oh look, David is here," Olivia noticed and excused herself before she heard any more of her friends' parenting technique.

* * *

The backyard was set up with a bouncy house, face painting station, and various balloons and streamers hung on a swing set that the birthday girl and Ella were playing on. There was a table set up with food and another full of presents. Seeing the setup, Fitz couldn't wait for the twins' first birthday. Bennett and Lila were in the arms of Harrison and Lisa, looking as if they were about to cry from being touched by strangers. As Fitz scanned the yard for Olivia, he was hit with an instant feeling of jealously when he spotted her. Some man that he had never seen was hugging her. The man held her close and seemed to be in complete bliss with his arms around her. The hug went on a little too long and even when they pulled apart, he still kept a hand on her arm.

Walking over to the pair, Fitz wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist and smoothly pulled her away from the other's man touch. Holding his hand out, he introduced himself to the gentleman, "Hello, I'm Fitz. The guy Olivia is dating," Fitz said proudly, "and you are?"

Olivia subtly elbowed Fitz in the side and introduced the other man, "Fitz, this was my doctor, David Rosen. He's the one that did the procedure that got me pregnant."

Fitz's jealousy left him as he found out who he was, but he couldn't help but notice how this David fellow was staring at Olivia. He'd keep an eye on him for the rest of this party.

"Thank you for all that you did for Olivia, and by extension, me. Without you, we wouldn't have had our children and we might not have met," Fitz said sincerely.

"No need to thank me, I was just doing my job. I'm going to go get some punch," David awkwardly excused himself.

"What was that about?" Olivia asked when David was out of ear shot.

"What? I was just thanking the man," Fitz replied innocently.

"Mmmmhhhmmm, sure."

"Want some punch?" Fitz asked and gave her a quick kiss before sauntering off.

* * *

Later that night, they sat cuddled up in Fitz's recliner, Olivia's new favorite seat, just enjoying each other's company. They were both in comfortable pajamas, having just put the babies to bed. Her head was cushioned on his chest and he lazily stroked her hair. She loved hearing his heartbeat and she clasped their hands together in a need to touch every part of him.

"You know, I saw you before," she whispered out of nowhere.

"David tripped on his own, my foot just happened to be there," Fitz defended.

"That's not what I'm talking about, although I saw that too. I mean, I saw you before I was even pregnant."

"What do you mean?" Fitz asked, completely confused.

"I was heading to the fertility clinic and we passed each other on the street. I was so struck by you and you just kept walking," she sounded a little hurt at that.

"There's no way that I would've seen you and not have stopped to ask your name," he reassured her, wishing that he had seen her as well.

"I thought about you, trying to remember every detail, and when you showed up at my door, it was like someone had answered my prayers," Olivia admitted, letting him know just how much he meant to her without saying the words.

Fitz put a curved finger under her chin and lifted it up so that he could meet her gaze. "I've been trying to think of a way to say this to you. To find the perfect moment, to do it in a grand romantic gesture, but I can't think of a better time than this. I love you. I'm in love with you."

"I love you, too. I'm in love with you, too."

And after that, no words were needed. His mouth crashed down on hers in the sweetest of ways and she felt complete. She waited her whole life to feel like this. To love and to be loved back just as fully. For so long, she convinced herself that all she needed was herself, but now, she couldn't imagine her life without him or her children. Pulling away to catch their breaths, they wordlessly communicated what they needed.

_I want to make love to you._

_Please. _

And with that, he picked her up and headed to her bedroom.

* * *

**AN: So a lot happened in this chapter. Fitz finally broke down (how sad was that), he met the friends and was approved, and they said the three magic words to each other. Next chapter will be moved to M, so if you don't usually view that section but still want to read my story, then I suggest that you check the follow block so that you get notifications of updates. Anywho, in upcoming chapters, we get to meet Fitz's family. I wonder how they'll like Olivia? Until next time...**


	9. There's a first time for everything

**Disclaimer: Do I own Scandal? Can't say that I do...**

**AN: First I'd like to take a minute to absorb the awesomeness that was last night's episode. I cannot wait till next week, but I'm also sad that it's the finale. Talk about a Catch 22. Second, I also want to thank everyone for reading, following, and favoring. I especially want to thank those who leave reviews, you guys are great and your reviews make me smile. Anyways, this chapter is pretty much all fluff so enjoy ;).**

* * *

They crashed into the wall in unmeasured steps. The painting beside them rattled and nearly crashed to the ground but they were none the wiser. Hurried, sloppy kisses and moans was the symphony to their love making. She had kissed him before, but this, this was new. This was uncharted territory for which she didn't need a map. She wanted to get lost in his mouth, in his arms, in his love. Her legs tightened around his waist to try and quell the quivering, but getting closer only made it worse. Her trembling fingers hastily pulled up his shirt and threw it carelessly to the ground. She ran her hand up his toned chest, having dreamed of doing so too many times. The fantasy didn't even come close to the reality.

She mewled in protest when his mouth left hers, but it soon turned into a moan when they moved to her neck. His hot mouth left a trail of scorching heat as his tongue explored her throat. Her fingers wound themselves in his hair and she panted his name. His pressed his hardening erection against her achy core and she nearly passed out. It had been years since she'd felt so wanton and she couldn't figure out for the life of her why she waited so long to be with this man.

He pulled down the strap of her camisole and her nipple came tumbling out. He let out a groan before dipping his head to pull the stiff peak into his mouth. A ragged sob left Olivia's lips and she ground herself harder into his member. She had never been this wet in her life. She was going to come and they were still fully clothed. The fingers of one hand tweaked and plucked the nipple that wasn't in his mouth while the other snaked its way down her belly. She was happy to have the wall at her back and him at her front because without the support, she would have collapsed.

He found her slick and ready and the feel of her heat around his fingers made his eyes cross. She was letting loose a slew of expletives that he never heard come from her pretty little lips. Knowing that he was causing her to lose control, to loosen all of her inhibitions, turned him on even further. Her small hand traveled down his body and slipped into his pajama pants. His breath hitched as he felt her soft palm and slender fingers try to wrap themselves around his stiff length. She gripped him harder and moved her hand up and down a few times, causing him to shudder against her.

"I want you so bad Livi, can you feel how much I want you?" he rasped into her ear and thrust himself more firmly into her hand.

Her whimper was her reply and he knew that they had to move before he took her against this wall. Somehow they managed to make it to her bedroom, leaving behind a trail of clothes. They were naked by the time they dropped on the bed and when she let her gaze slip to his cock, she grasped handfuls of her comforter and bit her lip. Just the sight of him had her dripping. She moved closer to the headboard but he didn't let her go far, pulling her by the ankle until she was back where she started. Before she could move again, he was between her legs, spreading her thighs with his strong hands.

Nerves began to settle in and he sensed her stiffen up some. She hadn't done this in quite some time and felt extremely out of practice. Knowing just what to do, he took her lips in a sweet, mind numbing kiss that took away any doubts that she may have had. She felt him slide his length up and down her slit, nudging her entrance each time and driving her insane with the need to feel him inside of her.

"Please…" she whimpered, completely incapable of waiting another second.

Pulling back, he locked eyes with her and steadily began to push into her warmth. She let out a long, low moan as he stretched her sensitive walls. She latched onto his shoulders, her nails beginning to make imprints in his flesh. Her body greedily sucked at its intruder, barely letting him slide in and out. She heard soft, mewling cries in the distance before she realized they were hers. This man was doing things to her body that she wasn't sure she'd ever recover from. Not that she wanted to.

He dropped his head to her neck and ground against her clit as he plunged in deeper. Her moans were getting loader and she was scared she'd wake the twins. Turning her head, she bit into her pillow just as he delivered a particularly hard thrust, the cottony taste a testament to how good he felt. He licked at her pulse point, sucking on it hard enough to leave a mark. She had never had a hickey, not even as a teenager, and the idea of being marked as his was such a turn on.

His lips went higher until they reached her ear and he bit her lobe before soothing the sting with his words. "I love you."

"Oh god." She didn't expect the words make her toes curl into themselves and she felt herself go straight to edge. "I love you, too," she breathed out, her brain having a hard time forming words as he continued to make love to her.

Her heels dug into the small of his back and she could feel her impending orgasm growing stronger in every cell of her body. "I'm so close," she moaned and guided his mouth back to hers.

His fingertips were leaving bruises on her hipbones as he held her with the intensity of a man that needed to fuse his entire being with the love of his life. He was groaning nonsensical words into her mouth and she could tell he was a close as she was. His steady thrusting slowed into a smooth glide that passed over her spot in the most delicious of ways and before she could even form his name on a scream, she was falling head first into a sea of bliss. She could feel him tumbling over with her, panting her name over and over in her ear.

"Mmmmm…" was the only sound she could make, his loving turning her brain to complete mush.

"Ditto," he chuckled and pulled her into the crook of his arm as he rolled off of her.

She cuddled into his chest and before she fell asleep, she heard him ask, "can I have my man cave now that I'm officially sleeping in here?" She laughed, telling him no and closed her eyes, drifting off to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

* * *

A few days later, Olivia was just putting the final touches of dinner on the table when she heard the key turn in the lock. She absolutely loved that sound. It meant he was home. Trying not to seem too excited, she hurriedly walked to the door. He had just closed the door behind him when he saw her and immediately dropped his briefcase to the ground so that he could embrace her. Having his arms around her after a long day without him was like putting Neosporin on a skinned knee. It soothed and healed and she forgot that they hadn't spent the entire day together.

"Why don't you go wash up while I put dinner on the table," Olivia told him after a quick peck to his lips

"Sounds good to me," Fitz responded and turned to leave but not before kissing her again.

A few minutes later, he appeared in the dining room looking comfortable in a navy shirt and blue pajama pants. Dinner was never a formal affair in the Grant-Pope household and Olivia was dressed similarly in a t-shirt and some shorts. She put the last of the chicken, potatoes, and vegetables on the table then settled into her seat across from him.

"How was you guys' day today?" Fitz asked between bites of food.

"It was fine except your son's fascination with facial parts nearly left me without nose. I swear he's going to be a body builder with that grip of his. And Lila, well she's definitely going to beauty school because she can't keep her little fingers out of my hair."

"I don't blame her, your hair was made to run fingers through it," he chuckled, knowing that he himself was missing a few strands from his daughters constant pulling.

"How was your day?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing too exciting. We're hiring new attorneys so I was mainly doing interviews today. This one guy," he paused to laugh, "he came in so cocky, just knowing he'd get the job, but the first question I asked him he got flustered. Davy or something was his name. Either way, he definitely didn't get the job. Besides being incompetent, he seemed like a bit of an asshole."

"Well at least you didn't hire him and find that out later. I know I said I was going back to work last week, but I just can't pull myself away from the babies. I have been looking over cases via email, texts, and phone calls though," she told him, feeling slightly guilty for making her team doing the majority of the work.

"That's the beauty of being your own boss, you get to do what you want. You should take all the time you need. Quit if you want, I can more than support us," he said half teasing, half serious as he scooped the last bit of potatoes into his mouth.

Rolling her eyes, she responded, "I am not quitting, I'm just taking longer than the normal maternity leave."

"Have any plans for tomorrow night?" Fitz asked, changing the subject.

"Uhhh… no, why?" she wondered, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork before bringing it to her mouth to take a bite.

"Well, I was thinking today that we did things really backwards. A man is supposed to romance a woman and I haven't even taken you out on one date. So, Ms. Pope, tomorrow we will be going out on the best date ever," he announced, smiling ear to ear.

"Okay. What about the twins?" she asked, completely excited about going out with him.

"Already taken care of. Your mother and Richard are going to babysit." He told her and he had to keep himself from laughing at the absolute look of panic that crossed her face.

"Fitz, how can I say this nicely…there is no way in HELL that I'm leaving that woman alone with my children," she fumed.

"Come on Livi, she won't be alone, Richard will be with her."

"Oh that's even better, two people with zero parenting skills taking care of infants," she muttered sarcastically. "I guess one can take Lila and the other can take Bennett, then they can switch and take turns being completely clueless as to how to even change a diaper," she continued her tirade.

"I called Abby and Stephen, but they're out of town remember? Cyrus and James have a prior engagement and I think that Harrison and Lisa would be worse than your mom and Richard," he explained, her mother not even being close to his first option.

"What about a real babysitter, you know, like the ones you higher from a nanny service," she suggested, even though she wasn't too keen on the idea of strangers in her home.

Fitz quirked an eyebrow at her, knowing her well enough to know that she wouldn't have gone for that either. "Would you have honestly let some random person into our home to look after our children."

"No," she begrudgingly conceded. "But Fitz…"

"Livi, I really just want to go on a date with the women I love. Can you please let me do that?" he pleaded, taking her hand in his.

"Well, when you ask so nicely…"

* * *

"Wow," Fitz stated simply as Olivia came out of the bathroom.

He eyed her up and down from his position on the edge of the bed. She was wearing a black sleeveless pendulum dress that had a lace bodice and a fitted skirt that stopped well above her knees. She had on red pumps and her hair was feathered around her shoulders in soft waves that made her look incredibly sexy. He couldn't believe that this woman was his.

"You like it?" she asked, smiling at his compliment.

"You look absolutely beautiful in that dress. I don't know how I'm going to keep my hands off of you," he praised and moved off the bed and towards her.

He dropped his head to her neck and inhaled her enticing scent. She felt so good in his arms that he was tempted to forgo the date completely. But he had promised her a night out and he wasn't going to go back on that because he couldn't control himself. That would have to wait until later.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Mr. Grant," Olivia stated as she let her eyes rove over his form.

God, this man was sexy. He had on a simple black Polo pullover sweater with black chinos and a white button down underneath. His hair with gelled to perfection and his cologne was doing things to her body that made her want to push him back onto the bed. Unable to help herself, she connected her red lipstick covered lips with his. He groaned and dropped his hand to her ass, squeezing it in a way that made her moan. Before things could any more interesting, the doorbell rang signaling her mother was here.

"I'll go get the twins, you go get the door," Olivia told Fitz as they headed out of their bedroom.

Olivia gathered Lila and Bennett from their cribs along with their blankets and pacifiers. She was still skeptical about leaving them, but if she was serious about building a relationship with her mother, she would have to trust her. She headed to the living room just as her mother, Fitz, and Richard were entering the room.

"Well don't you look absolutely breathing taking," her mother commented.

"Thanks Mom. Hello, Richard," she greeted and he responded in kind. "Are you sure that you're ready for this?"

Olivia had written extremely detailed instructions on how to care for the twins, even to the point of setting timers for when they needed to be fed. She was leaving nothing up to chance and planned on calling every fifteen minutes to check on how things were going. Lila and Bennett already had their baths and were in their onesies when her mother came over. There wasn't much to do other than heat their bottles up and change a few diapers. It shouldn't be too difficult for her mother to handle.

"Olivia, dear, I am completely capable of caring for my grandchildren. Go, have a wonderful time," her mother said as she ushered her and Fitz to the door.

"My phone, Fitz's phone number, 911, the pediatrician, and the number to the restaurant are all posted on the refrigerator along with another copy of the instructions," Olivia told her, delaying leaving until the absolute last minute.

"911? Really? Maybe I should write that down again just in case I forget the whopping whole three numbers," her mother joked.

"This isn't funny Mom. You don't have any experience with infants and it is taking a huge leap of faith from me to let you watch them," Olivia told her, not seeing the humor in the situation.

"I know, Olivia. But have some faith in me to know that you won't come home to babies missing limbs," Jacqueline joked again, trying to break the tension.

"Mother…"

"Livi, we're going to have to leave if we're going to make our reservations," Fitz reminded her.

"Okay," Olivia conceded and handed her mother Lila and gave Bennett to Richard after giving each of them a kiss. Fitz did the same then took her hand and led her out the door before she could say anything else.

* * *

"How are you not freaking out right now?" Olivia questioned as Fitz maneuvered the car through the streets of D.C.

"I am, but baby, one of has to at least keep up the appearance that everything is peachy. I want to have a good date and that won't happen if we are both are on edge and calling your mother every five seconds. So I'm taking your phone for the rest of the night."

"But…"she tried to argue.

"No, buts. You can get one phone call after dinner and before the other part of our date," he laid down the law.

"Yes sir," she chuckled, handing him her phone then taking the hand that he was offering.

They pulled up outside of a quaint little restaurant that hosted the best of D.C's hottest couples and political powerhouses. How he got a reservation here was a mystery, but she was really excited to sample the cuisine.

Fitz got out and rounded the car to open her door. Taking her hand, he gave the keys to the valet and the two headed inside. The restaurant was dimly lit, each table having a candle on it to create a soft ambiance. Classical music from a piano played softly in the corner and the round tables were set perfectly for two. Fitz gave his last name and they were ushered upstairs and to a nice window seat. They got a great view of street and could see the pedestrians walking on the sidewalk below. He pulled out her chair for her and gave her a quick kiss before taking his seat.

The waiter came over and took their drink orders before leaving again. Fitz and Olivia chatted idly about nothing in particular, but it was nice nonetheless. They were laughing about a stupid joke Fitz told when someone walked up to their table.

"Well hello Olivia, long time no see. You look lovely," Edison's voice penetrated her eardrums and she instantly rolled her eyes as she spotted the blonde next to him.

"Edison. Emily," Olivia addressed him and the woman he cheated on her with. Fitz didn't miss the look and he quickly assessed that this was the man that broke her heart. That knowledge immediately made him hate the other man.

"Mr. Grant, I didn't know that you knew Olivia," Edison said and stuck his hand out to shake Fitz's.

"My personal life has nothing to do with you Mr. David, now if you please, I'm trying to have a date with my lady…"Fitz told him in a dismissive tone.

"Davis…its Davis," Edison corrected, but it fell on deaf ears.

"It doesn't really matter," Fitz tried to get him to leave again.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your date. I hope to hear from you soon," Edison added, oblivious to Fitz's tone, and turned to leave.

"I wouldn't count on it," Fitz mumbled low enough that Edison couldn't hear.

"What was that all about?" Olivia asked once Edison was completely gone.

"He came in for a job interview the other day, had I known it was _the_ Edison, I would've kicked his ass," Fitz grumbled in a manly way.

"Baby, let's not let him ruin our date. Now I believe that before we were rudely interrupted, you were telling me one of your corny jokes and I was pretending to laugh," she joked and giggled at Fitz's shocked expression.

"Pretending, huh, that's not what you were doing last night," he teased.

"Speaking of, I hope you weren't planning on getting lucky tonight because I don't put out on first dates Mr. Grant," Olivia told him, trying hard to keep a straight face

"Yeah, we'll see."

The rest of the dinner went smoothly and they enjoyed each other's company. Fitz paid the bill and pulled her chair out for her when it was time to leave. Keeping his promise, he pulled out his phone and handed it to her when they got in the car. Olivia nervously dialed the home phone number and waited for her mother to pick up.

"Hello Olivia, all is well," her mother answered, alleviating the majority of Olivia's fears.

"Good. Are they asleep? Have they been giving you a hard time?" Olivia asked.

"No and no. They're little angels. Right now, Bennett is trying to pull Richard's nose off and Lila is having some bouncy time with Meme," Jacqueline cooed the last part.

"Don't bounce her too much or she'll throw up," Olivia warned.

"Nonsense. She loves it. You should see the…OH MY GOD! RICHARD HELP! OH IT'S IN MY MOUTH…SHE GOT THROW UP IN MY MOUTH! OH I'M GOING TO THROW UP!" her mother screamed and gagged, getting a literal taste of why she shouldn't bounce a baby that projectile vomits.

Olivia laughed hysterically and Fitz was laughing too because he heard the whole thing. Her mother told her that she had to go wash her mouth out and quickly hung up. Olivia had no sympathy for the older woman, she tried to warn her, but she didn't listen. She wiped the stray tears from her face and gathered herself as they pulled up in front of a mom and pop ice cream shop.

"I have always wanted to go here. I hear that they make absolutely everything from scratch," Olivia relayed excitedly as they headed into the shop, a ding from a bell signaling their entrance.

"This is the best ice cream in all of D.C, the cookies and cream has fresh baked cookies in it and let me not even get started on the sundaes," Fitz told her and led her to the counter so that they could choose their flavors

Fitz got the mint chocolate chip and Olivia got caramel with white chocolate chips in a waffle cone. They took a seat at one of the booths and Olivia took a bite out of her ice cream while Fitz watched for her reaction.

"Oh my god," she moaned and Fitz could feel his pants getting tighter, "this is so good."

"I thought I was the only thing that could make you moan like that," he ribbed in mock jealousness.

"Baby, I love you, but I would choose this ice cream over sex every time," she joked back.

"You really know how to stroke a man's ego."

* * *

They finished up their ice cream, making plans to come back soon. They headed home in comfortable silence, content just to hold each other's hands. It was nearing eleven when they were reaching the front door. Going in, she saw her mother and Richard asleep on the couch, a baby on each of their chests. Olivia shamelessly checked to make sure all limbs, fingers, and toes were still intact. She took a picture with her phone before Fitz went and took the babies to their room.

"Mom, Richard, time to wake up," Olivia nudged and they both jumped up.

"Oh, Liv, it's just you. Did you have a good time?" Jacqueline inquired around a yawn as she and Richard got up to gather their belongings.

"I did. Thank you again for watching the twins." She walked the couple to the door and gave each a parting hug.

"No problem, any time you need a sitter, you know my number," Jacqueline yawned again.

"Okay. Goodnight," Olivia called as they headed out. Closing the door behind them, she folded the blanket strewn across the couch, put the empty bottles in the kitchen sink, and turned the lights out before heading to bed.

Fitz was already in there, shirtless and in the bed. Olivia's mouth suddenly went dry and she could feel her panties go damp at the sight he made. She kicked off her heels and walked seductively to the bed, Fitz never once taking his eyes off of her.

Sitting on the edge with her back towards him, she whispered, "can you unzip me?"

She could almost hear him swallow as he moved closer to do what she asked. She felt his lips at the back of her neck and his fingertips slowly pulled the zipper down. His tongue traced every newly exposed piece of flesh and Olivia was trembling by the time the metal reached the end of its track. She stood up and shimmied the dress down her body until it was a pool of black fabric at her ankles, revealing her matching lace and silk bra and panty set.

Fitz groaned and pulled her onto the bed. He kissed her, hungrily sucking at her tongue and thrusting his into her mouth in return. He broke off the kiss and before she could protest, his head was between her thighs. The first flick of his tongue over her panty covered clit had her spine straightening. She moaned as he increased the pressure then sucked it through the fabric.

"Mmmm…take them…take them off," she moaned helplessly.

He delivered another lick before looking up at her, "do you agree that I'm better than ice cream?" he asked and licked her again.

"God, yes," she hissed and he finally ripped off her underwear.

Fitz let out a sound between a groan and a sob as he tasted her without any barriers. He dragged his tongue up her folds and scraped his teeth against her clit. Olivia fisted the sheets and canted her hips closer to his mouth, eager to take all of the pleasure he was offering. She moaned his name and arched her back, her head digging into the pillow.

"Fitz…baby, please," she begged, needing him to take her right then.

"I thought you said no sex on the first date," he reminded her and swirled his tongue around her clit agonizingly slow.

"I need you," she whimpered and her eyes squeezed shut when he thrust his tongue into her channel.

Grabbing his hair, she tugged, pulling his body up the length of hers. She wrapped her legs tight around his waist then rolled them over. Straddling him, she lined up his shaft with her opening and sank down inch by glorious inch, taking what she needed.

"I thought you'd see things my way," Fitz gloated and put his hands on her hips to help guide her up and down.

* * *

**AN: ****So they finally did the deed and went out on a first date. Better late than never, right? Edison made an appearance(an idea I was playing around with, but finally settled on with Oxford's review. Thanks) and I was debating whether or not to give him a bigger part, but I didn't want to ruin the date. He may or may not be showing up in later chapters, I haven't decided yet. There will be a time jump next chapter and we get to meet Fitz's family. Hooray! Or maybe not hooray, we'll see. **


	10. Meeting the Grants

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal, but if I did for just a day, boy the things I would do...**

**AN: So sorry for long time between updates. The finale really threw me for a loop and to be honest, I just wasn't feeling it. But then I got over it, for the most part, and started writing again. Speaking of writing again, check out my new story Out of Nowhere when you get the chances. Anyways, here's the next chapter**

* * *

7 months later

"Ma-Ma, can you say Ma-Ma," Olivia cooed, trying unsuccessfully to get her nine month old twins to say mama.

They were sitting in their high chairs, snaking on mushed bananas and pureed mangos. Bennett had most of his smashed between his chubby little fingers and in his curls, smiling, showing off the few teeth that had come in. His gray eyes were bright with mischief and he reared back his hand, fully prepared to start a food fight with his sister. Lila on the other hand was a little diva. She cried if Olivia didn't wipe her mouth fast enough, hating being messy. Olivia could already tell that as soon as she started walking that she'd be the first to be potty trained. Grabbing the piece of banana from Bennett's little hand before he could throw it, she placed it back on the high chair table and gave him a spoonful of mangos to keep him busy.

"Da da da da da," Lila's high pitched squeal broke the silence as Fitz strolled into the kitchen. He was dressed for work, wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and blue tie. He looked very handsome as always.

"Little traitors," Olivia grumbled, extremely envious that 'dada' had been their first word.

"Aw, don't be jealous, Livi," Fitz laughed. "Hi princess, hi Benny bear," Fitz greeted, dropping a swift kiss to each of their heads.

"It's hard not to be. They've said dada, toes, no, ball, please, yes, and gos," she whined, the latter being the twins word for mangos.

"Baby, we have two very smart children, especially since you're doing that whole My Baby Can Read and Baby Einstein route. I'm sure they'll be saying mommy in no time. Don't worry about it," he tried to cheer her up.

Picking up the baby wipes that she always kept near, Olivia wiped down Bennett's hands, face, and picked bits of food from his hair. She did the same with Lila although her cleanup was drastically less thorough being that she was practically spotless.

"My mom is going to be here soon, can you watch them while I go get my briefcase?" Olivia asked, standing up and going to the sink to wash her hands.

She had started going to work about three months ago and had her mother come in to watch the twins during the day. Because of what she did, her schedule was pretty flexible and she took any opportunity she could to work from home. However, today she had the last steps of a merger to finalize at her client's building and would be in that meeting for most of her morning.

"Of course, but first," Fitz came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She tilted her head back so that her lips could connect with his. What initially was supposed to be a brief 'good morning' kiss turned deeper the minute their lips touched. Moaning, Olivia turned in his arms and wound her fingers in his hair. No matter that he had taken her in the shower when they first got up, she was just as hungry for him as she ever was.

"Fitz, baby, I have to get going," she murmured against his mouth, making no attempt to move out of his arms.

"You shouldn't have worn that skirt this morning then," he muttered back, inching his hand up her thigh and fingering the snaps of her garter belt.

He dipped his head back to hers and once again captured her lips. Before it could get any deeper, the doorbell rang, breaking the couple apart. With one last peck, Fitz went off to go get the door and Olivia lifted the twins from their highchairs. It was getting more and more difficult to carry them both, but she somehow managed. Laying them down on their play mats in the living room, she went to her bedroom once she knew Fitz and her mother were supervising the twins.

In the last few months, her mother and Richard decided to settle in the D.C area to be closer to Olivia and the kids. Her mother did a total 180, finally meeting her match in Richard who didn't take her crap. The saying that some people made better grandparents than parents was proven with Jacqueline and Olivia now had no problem letting the older woman watch her children. Coming back to the living room, Fitz was giving each of the babies a hug and a kiss goodbye while Jacqueline was putting her purse and sweater away.

"We're on the third DVD set, Mom, so if you could play one or two of those and go over the flashcards with them that would be great," Olivia told her, making her way to the door where Fitz was waiting for her.

"Liv, they're nine months old, should they really be learning how to read at this stage?" her mother questioned as she normally did when Olivia asked her to go over the Baby Einstein videos.

"They're not learning to read, Mom. They're learning certain shapes, colors, and body parts, and what animal sounds go to what animal. It's never too early to start teaching your child." They had this same argument every time they came to babysit and she suspected that her mother wasn't participating in the learning process.

"I didn't do any of that with you and looked how you turned out," her mother pointed out.

"You didn't do anything with me. I turned out this way because of my father," Olivia snapped and instantly regretted it when she saw the hurt look on her mother's face. "Mom I'm sorr…"

"No its okay, you're right. I'll do the tapes. Now how about you and Fitz get going before you're both late."

With a final goodbye, they turned and left. Fitz walked her to her car, giving her a kiss and telling her that he'd be home around six before going on his way. Olivia then piled into her car, mentally going over everything she needed and playing out how she wanted today's events to go. When she arrived at her destination and got out of her car, she was no longer Mommy or Livi. No. She was Olivia Pope, merger extraordinaire.

* * *

"I'm happy that we could all agree upon the terms of the contract and I hope that your companies, now one in the same, will prosper greatly in the future," Olivia remarked, closing her laptop and silently congratulating herself on a job well done.

"Ms. Pope, thank you for your services. You were extremely professional and your team did one hell of a job. This contract is airtight and gives both parties equal benefits. Perfection," the older gentleman and CEO of one of the companies praised.

"No problem, Mr. Welsh, I was just doing my job," Olivia smiled in return.

Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out a small rectangular sheet of paper and handed it to Olivia, "I'm sure this amount will suffice, but let me know if you need more."

Looking at all of the zeros, she accepted the check, once again congratulated the owners, and headed towards the elevators. Glancing at her watch, she noticed that it was only 12:30. Being that the building she was in was only a block away from Fitz's job, she decided to stop at the deli that he loved so much and surprise him for lunch.

She picked him up pastrami on rye with kettle cooked chips for him and chicken caesar salad for herself. With lunch in hand, she rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor and came out with a smile on her face. She had been to his office before, but had never surprised him for lunch and couldn't wait to see his reaction.

"Hello, Jake," Olivia greeted his assistant, "is Fitz in?"

"He just got in from his meeting Ms. Pope, perfect timing," he told her then asked, "Do you want me to tell him that you're here?"

"No, I'm just going to sneak in," Olivia replied, already on her way to his corner office.

Knocking lightly on the wooden door, Olivia waited until she heard him say come in before entering. He was sitting behind his desk, typing away on his keyboard, and didn't even look up when she came in. He looked so cute with his glasses on and his sleeves rolled up his forearms.

"You can put the reports on the table Jake," Fitz said still not looking up.

"Do you want me to put your lunch there too?" Fitz's head shot up at the sound of her voice and a broad smile came across his handsome face.

Rising from his seat, he rounded his desk and gathered her in his arms. "What are you doing here, baby?"

"Well, I got done earlier than expected and it was close to your office so I thought that I would surprise you," she told him, reaching up for a kiss.

"Mmmm, so it's that kind of lunch, huh?" Fitz mumbled against her mouth.

"No, it's a real lunch," She laughed and moved to the chairs he had set up in the corner of his office.

He followed her, plopping down on the chair adjacent to hers and dug into the bag for his sandwich. He gave her an appreciative smile before taking a huge bite. She dug into her salad and they chatted idly for the next half hour about their perspective meetings. When they were done with their meals, Fitz got up and walked her to his door.

"I enjoyed lunch. Thank you, baby," he told her, moving closer to her

"You're welcome. I'll have to do this more often," she replied, winding his tie in her fist to pull him closer until his lips could connect with hers.

His hands went to her waist, pulling her closer, and she opened her mouth to his probing tongue. He kissed her hard and fast, seeming to try and make up for the few hours they were apart. She couldn't get enough of kissing him and it was quickly becoming _that_ kind of lunch. Picking her up, Fitz walked them over to one of the chairs. He sat down with her straddling his lap, their lips never parting.

She could feel the thick bar of his erection pressing into her thigh and the all too familiar ache that would furrow in her belly whenever he was near. His hands traveled up her ribcage and to her shoulders to slip her blazer off. Their hips were moving in sync, trying to burn through the layers of clothing blocking their path. Fitz grabbed the hem of her skirt, tugging it up her waist so that he could get to what he most desired. Olivia moaned into his mouth when his fingers found their way into her drenched panties.

Returning the favor, Olivia quickly unbuckled Fitz's pants and slipped her hands into his boxers. His eyes grew slumberous as she wrapped her fingers around his length. Shifting his pants down his thighs, Fitz tore off Olivia's panties and poised himself for entry. Just as he had settled the first inch in, his cell phone began to ring.

"Mmmmm…ignore it," Olivia moaned, sinking down another inch.

And Fitz planned on doing exactly that, but as soon as it stopped ringing, it started again. Grabbing it from his pocket, he hit the ignore button without looking at who was calling. She took him further, throwing her head back as she sank down the last few inches. Fitz licked up her neck towards her ear when the phone rang yet again.

Finally answering it, he growled out a "What?"

"Mom, mom, slow down, I don't understand what you're saying," Fitz said, his features etched with concern.

Olivia immediately stopped and climbed off of him at hearing the word mom. She righted her clothes and watched as Fitz got up to do the same. Once his pants were re-buckled, he started pacing the floor, his hand to his forehead as he tried to distinguish the words his mother was saying.

"A heart attack? Okay, okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," he paused then said, "I love you, too."

Looking at him expectantly, Olivia waited for him to explain what was going on. Finally he stopped pacing and sank into his chair behind his desk.

"Fitz, what happened?" the worry in her voice evident.

"My father had a heart attack. I need to go to California."

"Is he…did he?" she was afraid to finish her sentence.

"No, he isn't dead. From what I gathered, they're going to do a few tests before they decide whether or not he needs surgery. I'm going to book a flight for tonight and stay out there for a few days," he told her, already looking up tickets online.

"Ok. I'll call Abby and let her know that I'll be off for a few days. Then I'll have to go and get the twins' ready for the trip…"she stopped when she saw the look on his face.

"Livi, I think it'll be best if I go by myself. This is a stressful situation and I don't think it's the right time for you to meet my family. Tensions are already running high and…"he trailed off, hoping she'd fill in the blanks.

"Fitz, we've been having this same argument for months now and each time you find a new reason for why I can't meet your family. Are you ashamed of me? Is it because I'm black that you don't want me to meet your family?" she asked, old insecurities starting to surface.

Rounding his desk, he pulled Olivia into his arms, hating that he was responsible for the quiver in her voice. "I'm not ashamed of you. It's just…my family can be a little much, especially my Dad. They are overbearing, in your face kind of people that have no filter and will say anything. I'm trying to protect you from the craziness."

Looking up at him and seeing that he was being honest, Olivia settled her hands on his face before saying, "Fitz, baby, I'm a grown woman and can handle whatever they throw at me. All that matters is what you think of me, but with that being said, the twins deserve to know that side of their family. If we're in this for the long haul, I'm going to have to meet them eventually."

"Okay. I'll book the tickets," he agreed and kissed her, praying that his family would be on their best behavior.

* * *

"I don't need a dang home nurse, Marilyn!" Fitz could hear Big Jerry bellow from down the hall.

They had gotten to Santa Barbara a few hours earlier and checked into a hotel that wasn't too far from the hospital. Fitz knew that his mother was going to insist on him staying at home, but he thought that Olivia would prefer to have her own space for the duration of the trip. Currently, they were at the hospital, just stepping off of the elevators and Olivia could feel the butterflies starting to take flight in her belly. Fitz squeezed her hand for reassurance and adjusted Lila on his hip as they continued towards his father's hospital room.

Olivia took great care in dressing the twins this morning, not wanting Fitz's family to find any fault. Lila was wearing a yellow dress with a matching headband and Bennett was adorned in a blue button down with a pair of pint sized khaki pants. She coifed his curls and put Lila's into two pigtails. They looked adorable if she did say so herself. She herself was wearing simple white tee shirt, jeans, and flat, Fitz wearing the same except his shirt was black. As they neared the room, they could see some of Fitz's family sitting outside in the chairs that lined the wall.

"Hello, everyone," Fitz greeted and everyone looked up at him in surprise. "Livi, that's my sister Jenny, her husband Max, my brother Michael, his wife Linda and their two kids James and Lucas." Fitz introduced going down the row.

Each of the Grant kids and grandkids had the same gray eyes, but that's where the similarities stopped. His sister Jenny, who looked to be around forty eight, making her the oldest, had blonde hair and if she stood, would probably only reach 5'3 at the most. Michael had jet black, bone straight hair and looked to be around 42. He was around the same build as Fitz, but Olivia quickly assessed that Fitz came out the winner, getting the best of the gene pool.

"Guys, this is my girlfriend Olivia and our children, Bennett and Lila," Fitz continued introductions.

Michael was the first to speak up, standing and giving Olivia a big bear hug, "It's great to finally meet you. Fitz goes on and on about you every time he calls. You're prettier than he let on though," he told her, laying on the Grant charm.

Olivia gave Fitz a look and he just shrugged, then she turned back to Michael, "It's nice to finally meet you too, although I have to say, Fitz didn't really share that much about you guys."

Instead of being insulted, Michael just smiled. "I'm not surprised that he wants to keep you all to himself. He's always been cautious with his girlfriends around me. But Fitz," he turned to his older brother, putting on his serious face, "I'm married now. You don't have to worry about me stealing this one. Or maybe you do. Just don't tell Linda," he whisper yelled the last part.

"I can hear you, Michael," Linda said, letting her presence be known

"How's Dad doing?" Fitz asked, changing the subject.

"Same old Dad. Being difficult and trying to disobey the doctor's orders. But because it was only a mild heartache, he doesn't need any surgery. He just has to change his diet and start exercising. He should be out of here within the next couple of days," Michael informed.

Fitz let out a sigh of relief just as his mother came out of the room. She was a tiny little thing, but Olivia knew that she had to be tough as nails. She also screamed old money from her pearls, to her Neiman Marcus sweater. But underneath the wealth, there seemed to be something warm and inviting that made Olivia want to know more. Putting on her best smile, Olivia waited for her to acknowledge their presence.

"Mom, this is Olivia, Bennett, and Lila," Fitz announced when his mother came closer.

"Aren't they just the cutest little things that you've ever seen," Marilyn gushed in a deep Texan accent.

Olivia was not expecting her to have an accent and she found it very amusing. So far everyone seemed nice and she didn't know why Fitz was so worried. Well, everyone except for Jenny and her husband who had yet to speak.

"And you, why you're prettier than a barrel full of peaches," Marilyn complimented Olivia.

"Thank you," Olivia blushed.

Turning back to her son, "Fitz, your father is asking for you. Why don't you hand me Lila and go on in," Marilyn offered.

Transferring the small child, Lila started to whine a little and reach for her mother. Of the two, Lila was less friendly than her brother. She did not like strangers and rarely went willingly to anyone other than her mother or father.

"She's not really a people person," Olivia spoke up, "it'll take some time for her to get use to you. Here, why don't you take Bennett, he's less likely to cry."

Once they were switched, Lila snuggled up to her mother, clinging for dear life, and Bennett eyed his grandmother's pearls with an eager expression. His chubby little hand reached out and grabbed them, nearly choking Marilyn in his attempt to fill his latest fascination with necklaces. After the third attempt to pull his hand away, the older woman finally wised up and took the necklace off all together before giving it to him.

"You gonna be fine by yourself?" Fitz asked, not wanting to throw her to the wolves.

"Yeah, I'll be fine out here." Fitz gave her a sympathetic look before going into the room.

Being that the only open seat was across from everyone else, Olivia sat and awkwardly waited for the questions she knew were to come.

"So Olivia, exactly what do you do for a living?" Marilyn questioned first.

"I'm a lawyer. I own my own firm that specializes in contracts and major mergers," she gloated in a way that made it clear that she wasn't with Fitz for his money.

"I see. So you just leave your children with whomever to go gallivant around the city? Not very motherly if you ask me," Jenny said with her noise high in the air.

Taking a deep, calming breath before she replied, Olivia counted to ten then said, "Not that it's really any of your business, but my mother watches them when it's not possible for me to work from home."

"Oh I like her already," Michael piped up, "not willing to take any of Jenny's crap."

"So it's crap to want to protect your brother from a gold digger and my niece and nephew and from a bad mother?" Jenny inquired as if she saw nothing wrong with her comment.

"Jennifer Anne, you do not know this woman from Eve. Speaking of Eve, do you read the bible, Olivia?" Marilyn segued.

"Ummm, on occasion, yes." She answered honestly.

"Good. I think that Fitz needs a nice church girl. Not like his last wife Mellie," she said with a shake of disgust. "Do you plan on marrying my son?" came her next question.

"Uhhhh…that's up to him." Olivia was starting to feel nervous with all the questions.

"No it's not. Jenny here proposed to Max," Marilyn shared.

"More like forced him down the aisle with a shotgun, a baby, and an ultimatum," Michael muttered under his breath.

Before Jenny could respond to the slight, Fitz peeked his head out of the door. "Livi, my father would like to meet you."

Thankful for the reprieve, Olivia handed Lila off to Michael, hoping that she wouldn't cry, and made her way into Big Jerry's hospital room.

* * *

**AN: So we met the majority of Fitz's family in this chapter. They were nice except for Jenny but the real test will be Big Jerry next chapter. Lila and Bennett are getting so big, I almost feel like a proud parent, lol. Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter out a little sooner. But seriously, go check out Out of Nowhere in the meantime.**


	11. Meeting Big Gerry

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.**

**AN: So I apologize for the hiatus of sorts between postings. I could blame it on writer's block, but I honestly was just not in the mood to write and when I did, it would be something for my other story Out of Nowhere (if you happen to be reading that as well, I'll try to have something up relatively soon.) Thank you for everyone that reviews and a big thank you for those that reminded me to update and let me know they were still anxiously awaiting new chapters. Anyways, to refresh your memory, we were on the cusp of meeting Big Gerry. Let's see how that went.**

* * *

"Well, son, are you gonna bring her in here or are you just gonna stand in the doorway the whole time?" Big Gerry asked from his hospital bed a few feet away.

Fitz clasped his hand with Olivia's, more for himself than for her, and walked them in further. He was most nervous about what Gerry was going to think about Olivia than anyone else. He could still remember the look of absolute disgust on his father's face when he brought home his first girlfriend when he was seventeen.

"_You need to stop seeing her immediately," Gerry bellowed, not even caring that his girlfriend was within earshot. Meaning that she was standing right next to him._

"_I'm not going to let you ruin this for me, Dad. I've done everything you've ever asked of me, no questions or back talk. Now I like Aurelia and that's the end of that," Fitz said, puffing his chest and standing up to his father for the first time in his life. _

"_We'll see how much you like her when I refuse to pay your tuition for college in the fall. She's not right for you Fitzgerald," Gerry stood his ground._

"_You mean she's not the right color or class for me," Fitz pushed. Aurelia was Puerto Rican, her family having moved to the states when she was just five years old. She still had a heavy accent and proudly displayed her heritage in the way she carried herself. _

_Her parents came from modest backgrounds, her mother teaching Spanish at the local high school and her father owned his own auto repair shop. They were humble and made the most of what they had. Fitz could see himself with Aurelia for the long haul. She was beautiful inside and out, smart too. She had ambitions of becoming a politician; something they had in common. _

"_Fitz, maybe I should just go," Aurelia spoke up quietly, her usually feisty behavior wavering in the presence of his father._

"_See, now there's two of us that now know what needs to happen," his father smirked and walked away. _

After that, Fitz saw Aurelia a handful of times before she finally broke it off, saying that they were just _too_ different. Fitz never brought home another girl, knowing that his father wouldn't approve of any of them anyways. Then one day he came home to his parents talking to their friends the Rosemore's, their daughter Mellie the center of attention, and the rest was history.

* * *

"Uh, Dad, this is my girlfriend Olivia, Olivia, this is my father Gerry.

Olivia was more nervous than she could ever remember being. She knew that Fitz's father influenced a lot of what Fitz did and she wanted him to like her. For someone just suffering a heart attack, the older man was still a scary sight. His broad shoulders took up most of the bed and with his steel eyes, gray hair and smirk playing at his lips, he was the epitome of menacing.

She gave what she hoped was a friendly smile and stuck her hand out to shake. She was surprised when Gerry not only accepted but placed a kiss to the back of it. So he was a charmer too, huh? What were these Grant men drinking? She could feel the headache coming on for what she knew she would deal with when Bennett discovered the opposite sex.

"So you are _thee _Olivia Pope," Gerry spoke as if he already knew her.

"It seems my reputation precedes me," Olivia blushed good naturedly.

"That it does. I have followed your career from the Willows and Parker merger all the way up to your most recent case. Brilliant work I must say. If I ever decide to merge my company, you will be my first call," Gerry promised. "You actually handled my good friend's Edelstein's merger not too long ago. He raved about you for month's afterwards."

Olivia knew that she was somewhat of a guru in her field but never in a million years did she dream it would earn her brownie points with her future in laws. _In laws_? She and Fitz had yet to concretely discuss marriage, but that's where this was heading right? They could both feel it.

"Edelstein was a pleasure to work with and I was happy to have him as a client. Even happier with all the recommendations he gave me," she joked and Gerry laughed.

Fitz could finally breathe a sigh of relief as he listened to his father and Olivia discuss business deals and trade tricks and tips. He honestly didn't expect him to like her and if he knew this would the result, he would've brought her home sooner. Seemed like Olivia was the exception to every rule.

"Fitz, where are my grandkids?" Gerry asked, bringing Fitz out of his thoughts.

"Out there with mom and Michael," Fitz answered.

"Well, bring them in here, I wanna see 'em," Gerry demanded.

When Fitz left the room, Olivia went and sat down in the chair parked right next to the hospital bed. She felt more comfortable with Gerry than the rest of Fitz's family, probably because they had business in common, and was still wondering why Fitz had kept her away for so long.

"Olivia, I like you, really I do, but I don't know if you're right for my son," Gerry told her in a serious tone.

"What do you mean?" Olivia felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This is what Fitz must have been protecting her from.

"I mean that you should marry me instead," Gerry joked, a wide smile coming across his face, making Olivia laugh loudly.

"I don't think that Marilyn would appreciate you trying to get me down the aisle," she teased back.

"We don't have to tell her. Think about, with our combined business sense, we could rule the world. Picture it, mergers galore," he said, trying to paint a picture with his words.

"Oh I see, you just want me for my brains, huh?" Olivia asked, arching her eyebrow.

"That and the fact that you're the second most beautiful woman I've ever seen, behind my Marilyn of course," he schmoozed.

Before Olivia could reply, Fitz came in with Bennett and Lila tucked against his sides. Bennett looked as if he just entered a wonderland and his little hand opened and closed in excitement at all of the things he could tamper with. Lila however, seeing a complete stranger, shrunk further into her father, hiding her face into his shoulder.

"Olivia, I'm afraid that you are now the third most beautiful girl that I've ever seen," Gerry said in awe as he eyed his grandchildren.

"Dad, this is Lila and Bennett," Fitz said in a normal adult voice, then cooed, "can you say 'hi' to Pappy?"

Bennett let out a string of baby gibberish, a few real words mixed in with mainly nonsense. Lila tentatively waved her hand at him before promptly curling it back into her side. Big Gerry smiled from ear to ear and reached out for one of them. Afraid that Bennett would end up ripping the IV out of his arm, Fitz handed him Lila before going to sit in the chair next to Olivia.

"Well aren't you just the cutest thing that I've ever seen," Gerry murmured, his hard shell turning into mush at the little being in his arms.

Lila started to screw her face up, about to cry because a stranger dared to touch her, when Gerry started humming a slightly familiar tune and rocked her a little. She peeked up at him, curious about the noise he was making, and reached her hand up to touch his face. He nibbled at her fingers and she let out the sweetest laugh that was usually only reserved for her parents.

"Wow, she never acts this way around people she doesn't know," Olivia said, completely bewildered by her child's actions.

"Dad, I must say, this is freaking me out. You would barely even look at Karen and Gerry," Fitz remarked, a sadness in his tone.

"And that's something that I regret with my whole being. But having a brush with death will do change you son. When I lay there on the floor clutching my chest, I realized that life was too short to be living the way I was living. My family is what's most important," Gerry said, sharing his epiphany.

"I'm glad to hear it. We still have things to work out, but I want you to be in our lives. Mine, Liv's, and our children."

"I would really like that."

* * *

They stayed and visited for about another hour, talking and catching up. At some point, they let Bennett near his grandfather and all the wires that were attached, and while he pulled off one from Big Gerry's chest, they considered that a win considering he could've done some serious damage. Marilyn came back in, sitting on the edge of her husband's bed and the others would filter in and out. When the doctor's came in to give him his next round of meds, they decided to call it a day.

Olivia went to get Lila and she actually whined at the separation. "Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow," Olivia reassured the little girl and Lila quickly hushed her noise and cuddled into her mother.

Bennett on the hand was determined to take one of the wires with him, holding tight as Fitz tried to extricate him carefully from the hospital bed. Digging in his pockets, Fitz took out his keys, jingled them a little, and Bennett immediately let go of the wire in favor of the shiny new toy.

"Fitz, I'm making dinner tonight and I want you and Olivia to come," Marilyn informed them as they made their way to the parking garage.

"Of course, Mom, what time?"

"Six o'clock sharp. I'm making your favorite roast chicken and mashed potatoes so don't be late because you know how Michael can eat." She kissed his cheek, hugged Liv and the twins, then made her way to her car.

After buckling the twins securely into their car seats, Olivia and Fitz climbed in themselves. "They really weren't that bad Fitz. I would dare say they even likeable people. Well, except for your sister," she said, still annoyed by her comments. "So why the hesitation to introduce us?"

"That man in there, I have no idea who he is. You met him at the same time I did. I mean, he looks like my dad, sounds like my dad, but that is not Fitzgerald Thomas Grant II." Fitz was still reeling from what had just occurred. He couldn't even remember ever seeing his father smile, but yet he was all laughs and giggles today.

"The man just had a heart attack, Fitz, did you expect Scrooge?" Olivia asked laughingly.

"Actually, yes. I wouldn't have even blinked an eye at that," he said back seriously. "Livi, I don't want you to get too comfortable with him. This new revelation is likely just temporary. As soon as the doctor clears him, he'll go back to his old ways."

"That's a horrible thing to say about your father." Olivia was completely confused about Fitz's attitude.

"All I'm saying is be careful."

"Ok, fine. But we really have to talk about how your sister was acting towards me. She called me a bad mother and a gold digger and the only reason that I didn't go off was because you guys share DNA," she was still fuming for what Jenny had insinuated.

"Jenny is just really overprotective of me. She saw what happened in my marriage to Mellie and she doesn't want to see me in a situation like that again. I think you're overreacting," Fitz excused his sister's behavior.

"She doesn't know me or our relationship to judge and I would appreciate it if you didn't defend her rude behavior to me," she was irrationally angry and her way to deal with that was to completely shut down.

The whole ride to the hotel Olivia was completely quiet. Fitz would look over at her occasionally, but she would just turn her gaze out the window. When they arrived, she silently gathered Lila while Fitz got Bennett. Her little girl had fallen asleep in the car and as soon as she was in her mother's arms, she burrowed her face in her neck and snuggled in closer. Having Lila in her arms calmed her some, but she was still irritated that Fitz didn't take his sister's comments as seriously as she did.

* * *

The next few hours went by just like the rest of the car ride; in silence. Fitz tried to start conversation, but she would either give monosyllabic response, nonverbal replies, or ignore him all together. Having enough, she took an awake Bennett to the pool and left Fitz in the room to watch a sleeping Lila. Of the two, Bennett was more adventurous and wouldn't shy away from new experiences. They had taken them swimming for the first time about a month ago and Bennett had taken to it naturally. Lila, however, clung to Fitz and would start to cry if the water even grazed her pinky toe.

She sat down on the steps and held Bennett while he splashed and played in the water. His laugh was infectious and she soon felt are her anger drift away. "Benny bear, you know just how to make Mommy feel better."

"Ma Ma," he squealed, testing the new words out and deciding that he liked how it sounded, continued to say them.

"You said mama!" This was the first time and she was ridiculously happy and wished that she had brought her phone to record it.

Bennett began to add other letters and words to the slew of m's and a's, now having a full blown conversation with his mother. Olivia would respond with "is that so?" and "really?" and he would just babble more loudly as if saying 'I'm not kidding, that really happened."

They stayed for about an hour before heading back to the room, and the usually laid back Bennett cried a little for having to leave the pool. But as soon as Olivia pulled out a tendril of her hair from her bun, he was back to his dimple-grinned self, twirling the hair around his fist, careful not to pull too hard. When they entered the room, Fitz was already dressed for dinner and he was in the midst of changing Lila. He looked up briefly when Olivia walked in the room, and not sure of her mood, continued on with his task.

"I'm going to give Bennett a bath then I'm going to shower myself. I already laid his outfit out so if you could dress him while I'm in the shower, that'd be great," Olivia told Fitz then headed to bathroom.

She quickly bathed her son, happy that she still had on her bathing suit because he soaked her with all the splashing he was doing. Afterwards, she handed him off to Fitz then gathered her clothes and headed back to the bathroom. She quickly washed then dressed in a simple pencil skirt and white blouse. As she was doing her hair and makeup, she heard the door open behind her and saw Fitz come in behind her in the mirror.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked, setting the baby monitor on the counter then wrapped his arms around her waist.

Turning in his embrace, she leaned her head against his chest and sighed. "I'm not mad, Fitz. I was just irritated that you weren't upset as I was. I was pissed about the gold digger comment, sure, but what hurt me most was when she called me a bad mother. You know I try really hard not to end up like my mom and for you to just brush it off like it was nothing really grated my nerves."

"Baby, I know you're not bad mother so why would I take stock in an asinine comment my sister made? And I know that you love me for me and not my money. I'm sorry for not seeing your side and I will talk to her and let her know that her comments weren't and aren't appreciated," he promised, feeling bad that he didn't take her feelings into consideration earlier.

"Thank you," she smiled then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

As soon as his lips touched hers, the entire day along with their surroundings disappeared. She twined her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her body. He greedily grasped her hips in his hands and tilted the apex of her thighs into his hardening length. She moaned low in her throat, and when he lifted her up on the counter, she had to fight to reel in her desires.

"Fitz," she breathed against his mouth, "we have to be to dinner in forty five minutes, we don't have time for this."

"We can make time," he told her, kissing the spot on her neck that made her weak.

"But, baby, what about the twins?" she asked, trying any tactic to get her body and his to calm down even as she directed his mouth back hers.

"They are happily playing in their portable playpen and we have the monitor just in case," he convinced her and traveled his hands up her thighs.

His touch was electric and her panties were nearly drenched in her lust for him. He hiked her skirt up then scooted her closer to the edge so that he could stand more firmly between her thighs. "Fitz, baby, we have to make this quick," she moaned as she reached for his zipper.

* * *

They arrived at his mother's nearly half an hour late, both blushing brightly as his mother answered the door and looked at them knowingly. They shuffled in, apologizing for their tardiness and hoping that everyone wasn't too mad or hungry for having to wait. Everyone was already there, and the older kids took their food to the den while the adults sat in the dining room. Taking their seats at the table, Lila in Olivia's lap, and Bennett in his Uncle Michael's, Marilyn lead the prayer then told everyone to dig in.

About half way through the meal, Fitz cleared his throat to get his sister's attention. "Jenny, some of the things you said earlier really offended Olivia and I would appreciate it if you would apologize to her and keep any future unsavory remarks to yourself."

"If you think I'm going to apologize, then you are sadly mistaken. I'm surprised that she's even still here after meeting dad," Jenny said offhandedly.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Olivia wondered.

"It means that our father has always had an aversion to Fitz dating someone…like you…and Fitz has always listened," Jenny replied, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork before plopping it to her mouth.

"Did I do something to you in a past life or are you just jealous that I'm everything you wish could be?" Olivia asked, more curious than snarky.

"And what exactly would I possibly be jealous of?" Jenny scoffed, putting her fork down and giving Olivia her full attention.

"The fact that I have a career and you're just a stay at home mom. Fitz told me that you graduated top of your class from Stanford with a business degree and from the looks of it, you did absolutely nothing with it. And while I can't speak on your marriage, I can say that your husband has been staring holes into my blouse ever since I got here," Olivia stated calmly and Max, Jenny's husband, quickly looked away.

Unable to come up with a sufficient reply, Jenny just remained silent and her food suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world, no longer able to look up and meet anyone else's gaze. Michael let out loud laugh and even Marilyn chuckled a bit. The rest of dinner passed by uneventfully and Michael's sons James and Lucas and Jenny's daughters Emma and Maggie came back into the dining room to join the adults for dessert.

With bellies full and dirty dishes collected, Fitz and Olivia headed towards the door to go back to the hotel. On the way, Marilyn made them promise to visit more and in return promised to make a trip out to D.C. as soon as Big Jerry was well enough. As they were leaving, she pulled Fitz back so that she could have a one on one chat with him.

"I really like her. She's good for you," Marilyn observed, referring to Olivia, "and those babies are just as precious as can be. And while they don't take Karen and Jerry's place, I'm happy that you got a second chance at fatherhood."

"Me too, Mom. I really love the relationship I built with them, all three of them," he said, looking out the door towards Olivia who was buckling the twins in their car seats.

"Fitz, when are you gonna make an honest woman out of Olivia?" his mother asked in her deep Texan drawl.

"Soon, Mom, very soon."

* * *

**AN: So Big Gerry loves Olivia. Do you think it'll last or do you think its the morphine the doctors are pumping into his system, lol? Fitz and Liv got into a little fight over his sister (how insensitive was he?) but he apologized and promptly checked his sister. Olivia and Bennett got some bonding time and he finally said Mama( awwwwweeee). On the flip side, Olivia didn't take any of Jenny's mess so we'll see how their relationship is in the future. And do I smell a proposal? Leave me a review of what you thought. **


	12. Life is a beach

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal**

**AN: Hey guys. How's it going? So when we last left off, Fitz was hinting at a proposal, Big Jerry was falling in love with his grands and Olivia. Let's see how things progress, happy reading ;) **

* * *

"Suntan lotion?" Olivia asked as she mentally went through the list of things they would need.

"Check," Fitz answered as he looked through the diaper bag

"Snacks?"

"Check."

"Water?"

"Check."

"Change of clothes?"

"Check."

"Beach toys?"

"Check, check, and check. I'm pretty sure we got everything Livi, and if not, we'll wing it," He joked, trying to get her to loosen up so that they could enjoy their day.

Before leaving Santa Barbara, they decided to head to the beach. It would be the twins' first time and while Bennett loved the pool, they weren't so sure how the babies were going to react to the sand and rolling waves. Particularly Lila who really didn't take to new experiences. What they were most worried about with her were the seagulls. Nature's little creatures weren't her forte and living in D.C, the small mammals and birds were so used to people that they no longer scurried away when humans came near. This caused a near panic for Lila during one outing at a park. There was only one swing open and it happened to be occupied by a pigeon so Olivia proceeded to try and shoo the bird away only for it to fly towards them. It had traumatized Lila to the point where they had to go home and Fitz, hating seeing his little girl so upset, cooked a rotisserie chicken for dinner as some sort of pseudo form of revenge. Hopefully the gulls, known for their gall, would stay away today.

"I just want to make sure we have everything we need in case of an emergency," Olivia defended her type A personality.

"We do, now let's get going before the tourists take all the good spots on the beach," Fitz said and gave her a quick kiss before grabbing their bags and chairs and heading out of their hotel room.

Olivia gathered up her ever growing children, muttering how she just wanted to have a safe day and followed Fitz out the door, somewhat quelled that she could at least admire his back side and how his muscles flexed beneath his shirt as he carried all of their stuff. The ride to the beach was a quick one and with the windows down, Olivia could smell the salt and sea in the air and could hear the waves and the seagulls making whatever noises seagulls made.

They parked and unloaded the trunk and the car seats of its contents, human and otherwise, then made the trek down the sandy shore to find the perfect place to set up their umbrella, chairs, and towels. They found a nice place not too far from the water and not too close to the other beachgoers. Fitz dug a little pit and buried the base of the umbrella in it. Satisfied that it wouldn't blow away, he unfolded the chairs and laid out the towels while Olivia rubbed suntan lotion on the twins. When she was done, she had to take a picture of them in their adorable beachwear. Bennett had on little blue trunks with green fish on them and a little baby bucket hat to keep the sun out of his face. Lila had on a pink one piece with an image of Minnie Mouse on the chest and a white floppy sun hat that matched her mother's. She took plenty of photos, and when she was done, she started to put some on herself.

"Need help with your back?" Fitz asked, more for his own pleasure than her protection from the blazing sun.

"Only if I can do yours," she bargained with a sly smile.

"It's only fair," he smirked back and held his hand out for the tube of sun cream.

When she took off her cover up, Fitz let out a hiss as he took in her white two piece bikini. It was as simple as simple gets, but seeing all the parts of her he loved either exposed or barely covered, he knew that he'd be spending most of his time in the cold waters of the ocean. He took his sweet time rubbing the cream on her skin, kissing her shoulder blades and neck each time his hands passed over her exposed back. She just giggled and murmured something about payback being a bitch. When it was his turn, she took even longer and from the way she ran her tongue along the scratch marks she made last night, he knew that she appreciated his body in the red trunks he was sporting.

"People are staring at us," Fitz laughed when Olivia finally capped the tube and stepped away from him.

"Who cares? You're mine and I have no problem showing it," Olivia remarked then chuckled at the fact that they seemingly reversed roles in the conversation. "Let's get in the water."

Fitz grabbed Bennett and Olivia took Lila and they made their way down to the edge. Deciding to ease in instead of jumping straight into the waves, they set the twins on their feet, holding onto their little hands for extra support, and let the water come up to tickle their toes. Bennett giggled, liking the way the water felt, and Lila retreated a bit but surprisingly didn't cry. After a few minutes, they went a little deeper, the water now up to the babies' knees and Fitz and Olivia got a better hold on them as the waves came in and out.

Bennett was having the time of his life, smacking the water with the palm of his hand and trying to grab each shell that he came in contact with. Lila was a little less enthusiastic but eventually got used to the ocean and began to explore in the same curious manner as her brother. After playing in the water for bit, Fitz went up to their little set up and grabbed the toys they packed which included a couple of buckets, shovels, and molds that made fun shapes in the sand like crabs and mermaids. Olivia sat with her children where the sand was still wet from the water while Fitz waded deeper into the ocean.

"Wave to Daddy," Olivia cooed as they watched Fitz dive into another wave.

They did, a wet clump of sand falling from Bennett's hand as he opened and closed his fist. Fitz waved back when he saw them and made his way towards his family to help them build sandcastles. Their creation was impressive in both size and detail, Olivia of course dictating where the seashell windows should go and how the stray pieces of seaweed would make perfect doors. Fitz managed to get a picture with his phone before Bennett proceeded to smash it and seeing how much fun her brother was having, Lila joined in too.

They took a break from playing to head back up to their spot on the beach to rehydrate and to eat something. Fitz was apparently famished from swimming because he devoured all three of his sandwiches, a bag of chips, an apple, and two waters. Olivia laughed and finished off her one sandwich and chips in between spooning pureed mangos and cheerios into the gaping mouths of their hungry children. Both she and Fitz were happy that the seagulls stayed away while they ate lunch. They stayed a little longer after that until the midday sun got too hot and they decided to call it a day.

Back at the hotel, they all washed up as they did, compared tans. The babies were now a rich honey color, Fitz was as red as a lobster, and Olivia too on a deeper hue to her already brown skin. They took a much needed nap and when they awoke, Fitz informed Olivia that he made special plans for them and that she needed to be ready in about two hours and that he wasn't going to say anything else.

"Are Lila and Bennett coming with us?" she asked, a little skeptical because she hated surprises.

"No, this night is just for us. My mom already agreed to watch them," he told her and watched excitement splay across her features.

They hadn't been out with just them in a while. While each loved family time, they hadn't really had a time to just be a couple. They were already a family before they even met and while neither would change how things played out, they wished that they had a little more alone time than what they currently had. Hearing that it was going to be just them, Olivia immediately let go any reservations she might have had about not knowing the details and went to her luggage to see what she would be wearing for the evening.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, they were pulling out of his parent's driveway and heading to God knows where but Olivia was just happy to be holding his hand without having to constantly check the rearview mirror to make sure that her kids were okay. Instead, she could just stare at the man she loved while he expertly drove them to wherever.

"I like this," Olivia remarked idly.

"Like what?" he questioned, not certain if she was referring to the alone time or the fact that he was rubbing his thumb across the hand he was holding.

"This. Us. Me and a you being together and not having to worry about anything but each other, at least for a few hours. Lila and Bennett are in good hands and I'm in your hands. What could be better?"

"You're always in my hands, but I agree, this is nice. And it will only get better," he promised.

They continued driving until they came to what looked like a marina. Fitz parked the car, got out, and went around to open the passenger door. He held out his hand for her to take and she gladly did. She was happy that she paired her salmon dress with nude flats instead of heels. Walking down the docks would've been hell with the possibly of her stilettos getting caught in the wooden flanks. Fitz complemented her outfit choice by wearing a white button down with khaki linen trousers. He looked damn good if she did say so herself.

As they continued down, laughing at the funny, pun filled names for the boats, Olivia's excitement rose as she realized that he chartered a private yacht for them. He stopped them at one named Cupid's Boat and Arrow, indicating it was theirs for the evening, then they proceeded to come aboard. It was a small luxury yacht with an open deck and that had twinkling lights strewn about that would look beautiful when the setting sun was finally replaced by the moon.

"Welcome aboard Cupid's Boat and Arrow," an older gentleman with a gray beard and captain's hat greeted, "I'm Captain Skipper and I'll be at the wheel tonight."

"Pleased to meet you," Olivia and Fitz returned, sticking their hands out to shake.

"I hope that you two have a lovely evening and if you need anything, I will be right inside," Captain Skipper informed them then led them to the main deck where a table had been set up.

The scene was beautiful. The wine red table cloth draped all the way to the floor and had a small bouquet of orchids in the middle. The food was covered with silver domes and when Fitz pulled out Olivia's chair, he uncovered hers for her. Beneath the dome was seafood scampi. Shrimp, muscles, chunks of grab, and lobster covered linguine and a delicious garlic butter sauce. There was crispy cheesy bread and white wine on the side as well as a small caesar salad. Dinner looked delectable, smelled even better, and she couldn't wait to dig in.

"I figured seafood was only fitting since we are going to be dining in the middle of the ocean," Fitz said and as if on cue, the boat fired up and started to sail smoothly towards the open sea.

"Baby, this is too much," Olivia gushed, not believing that he set all this up for her.

"It's not enough," he simply replied and stuck out the hand not holding a fork to hold hers.

The ship continued on, gliding along the water and bringing them closer and closer towards the setting sun. She watched as the oranges, pinks, and reds played across the sky and reflected in the water below, happy that Fitz was one she was the moment with. The view was breathtaking and Olivia was happy that she wasn't getting seasick and ruining the mood. Between mouthfuls, they talked about nothing and absolutely everything.

"I would've never guessed that you wanted to be a cat trainer," Fitz laughed.

He had asked her what her most embarrassing secret was and had expected her to say that she peed herself in the tenth grade, not that she used to teach her cat, Mr. Twinkles, how to hop on his hind legs.

"I was ten and thought that it would be the coolest thing ever. We would put on shows for my dad and he would say that we could headline in Vegas one day. He even built me a small stage out of cinderblocks and an old door so that we could perform for him," she explained, trying to legitimize her career choice.

"Well what happened? Why aren't you and Mr. Twinkles off in Vegas making the big bucks?" he questioned, barely being able to keep a straight face.

"Well, when Mr. Twinkles died, so did my dreams. There would never be another one like him so I found something else I was good at, and being me, I didn't have to look far because I'm great at everything," Olivia said, practically pulling up another chair so that her ego could join them at the table.

"That you are," Fitz agreed, not even bothering to deny how awesome the love of his life was.

"Ok, your turn, what is your most embarrassing secret?" Olivia smiled, preparing to hear something wacky and off the wall.

"My most embarrassing secret is that I've been carrying around this ring in my pocket for the last six months because I couldn't find the right moment to present it to you," he told her and watched her blanch at his confession.

"Fitz…"

Getting up from the table, Fitz pulled out a baby blue box with a white ribbon and she automatically knew that he went to Tiffany's. Opening the lid, he pulled out a black velvet box and she could feel the tears welling up.

"Olivia, I didn't know that nearly two years ago my world was completely changing. I walked through life not knowing that my babies were growing within you, that my heart was already calling out for yours. And when I found you, when I found my family, I knew that you were it for me, that you are everything and I am nothing without you and our children. So with that knowledge, I never want to let you go. I want you and everyone else to know that you're mine, now and forever. Livi, will you marry me?" he asked, a catch in his throat and a tear spilling down his face.

She nodded her headed and stuck out her trembling hand so that he could put the ring on her finger. "Yes, of course I'll marry you," she cried as he opened the velvet box to reveal a past, present, and future ring. It was beautiful, two princess cut diamonds on the sides of the center yellow canary diamond and was set in a platinum band.

He slid the ring half way on her finger, kissing the place it would rest before sliding it on all the way. She wiped the stray tears from her eyes and lifted his face to hers so that she could claim her fiancé's lips. He kissed her like he had never kissed her before, gliding his tongue along the seam of her mouth until she opened and let him in. His tongue stroked hers slowly, savoring her taste and the feeling of being one.

"I love you," he breathed, pulling away a few minutes later, "I can't wait for you to be my wife."

"I love you, too, baby. And believe me, I'm the lucky one. I get to say that you're my husband," she smiled and pecked his lips once more.

By now, the sun was completely gone, replaced by a full moon that shined almost as bright as its predecessor. The stars were all out and twinkling amongst the stray clouds as if saying their congratulations to the newly engaged couple. Fitz and Olivia got up and went to the railing of the yacht, Fitz standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist as the watched the water splash up against the boat and further out, the slight waves ripple and dance in the night.

His hand slid higher up her ribcage at the same time his lips found the spot on her neck that made her melt and she shivered. "Are you cold," he asked, concern in his voice.

She could be in the middle of the Arctic and not be cold with his heat behind her. Instead of answering him, she turned in his embrace and kissed him, needing to feel the tangible evidence of his love for her. He swept her up in his arms and carried them to the padded benches that lined the other side of the yacht. She straddled him, her lips never disconnecting from his as she rocked her hips to the same tune of the waves just below.

His hands went under her dress to her bare thighs, caressing them as she moaned into his mouth. She needed him _now. _The feel of his hot desire pressing into her core was driving her insane and if he didn't get inside of her soon, she'd beg for it. Her nimble fingers made short work of his of belt and she soon had him in her hands. He groaned and pulled her panties down and off. He grasped her hips and ran her wet center up his shaft, teasing her bud with the promise of what was to come until she was weeping for him.

She cried out when he suddenly thrust in deep, her back arching and pressing the stiff peaks of her breasts into his chest. She grabbed onto the rail behind her and buried her face into his neck as she rode him. Up and down she went, the pleasure increasing with every decent she took on his stiff member. She bit her lip to hold in a cry, so used to having to do so with the twins asleep in the next room, until she realized they were in the middle of the ocean and let out a wailing scream.

"I love you," Fitz groaned, guiding her movements with sure hands. "Mine," he growled, his primitive side coming out. Not that she could blame him because she was feeling the exact same way.

"Yours," she confirmed, then sucked on the skin of his neck to brand him as hers.

They continued in their erotic dance, the moans spilling from her lips freely. He felt beyond good as she sank onto him again and again and again. She closed her walls against him, sucking him deeper and increasing both of their pleasure. She wrote I love you on his skin with the tip of her tongue, breathed it in his mouth, and sighed it over and over as he continued to take her into the abyss of their love. Her face contorted in bliss, her orgasm so close that she could taste it. She was whimpering with a need to come so acute that it was making every single one of her nerves tingle and spark. And finally she felt the coils in her belly snap and she burst with the intensity of a thousand stars, the clenching of her wet sex bringing Fitz over the edge right along with her.

"If engaged sex is like that, then I can't wait for what it will be like when we're married," Fitz laughed, still breathless.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, baby…"

* * *

When the yacht docked, Olivia and Fitz were back at their place at the table, sharing strawberry cheesecake and triple chocolate cake. Captain Skipper looked at them as if he knew exactly what had gone on, probably because of Olivia's constant screaming, and then congratulated them on their engagement. On still wobbling feet that she tried to play off as sea legs, Olivia and Fitz climbed off the yacht and headed towards their car.

She couldn't wipe the silly grin off her face as they drove back to the hotel. She kept looking down at her ring, needing a reminder that she hadn't been dreaming and that he had really proposed. She was already picturing her wedding, where it would be, what her dress would look like, and what color her bridesmaids' dresses would be. Speaking of bridesmaids, she had to call Abby and inform her of the good news but due to the time difference, she'd have to wait till the morning. She felt like a teenager again, needing to call her best friend because the boy she liked looked her way.

"I'm so happy," she smiled at Fitz when he glanced over at her.

"Me too. I was so nervous," he admitted.

"Why? You know that I love you. There was no way I was saying no."

"Well, when I proposed before, you shot me down. It hurt my ego," he said, really pulling out the dramatics to show how upset he was about her turning him down.

"I had known you all of five minutes when you asked me last time, that didn't count. You should've known that this time would be different. I love you so much and want nothing more than to be your wife," she assured him.

"Good, because I love you too and want nothing more than to be your husband. Now let's see how good engagement sex is again and again before we have to pick the twins up in the morning.

The next morning, Fitz and Olivia packed up and checked out of their hotel, having enough time to have breakfast with the Grants before catching a flight back home. When they arrived, everyone, except for Jenny, greeted them warmly, each offering their congratulations to the upcoming nuptials. With his father being home, it turned into a combined celebration, his mother pulling out all the stops for breakfast. As they sat at the table, Lila curled in her mother's lap, having really missed her last night, and Bennett in Fitz's trying to pull his ears off, the family partook in the meal laid out in front of them.

"So when is this wedding going to be?" Marilyn asked as she buttered her biscuit.

"We have no clue other than we want a winter wedding. That's pretty much the only detail we have settled," Olivia informed the older woman.

"Well what the heck were you two doing all night?" Michael asked just to be an ass and make Olivia blush. He knew darn well what they were doing last night, everyone did, and as the table erupted in laughter at the obvious answer to his question, Olivia couldn't help but join in, red cheeks and all.

"Don't be upset because I got lucky last night and you didn't," Fitz joked much to Linda's, Michael's wife, chagrin.

"Hey, hey, hey, that's a low blow. I told you about my little problem in confidence," Michael joked back and the two settled into an easy banter that had the entire table rolling.

When breakfast was over, his mother once again demanded that they not be strangers and gave her grandbabies a tearful goodbye. Big Jerry shook his son's hand and for the first time in a long time, told Fitz that he was proud of him. That nearly brought tears to his eyes, but he remained strong as he continued the goodbyes with the rest of his family.

* * *

"That was a very nice visit," Olivia reminisced as the plane prepared to take off.

"It was. I'm sorry again about Jenny but I'm happy that the rest of my family likes you," Fitz said and held out his hand for her to hold because he knew she got a little nervous when it came time for the plane to jet off the runway.

"I like them too, especially Michael who slipped me his number on my way out by the way," she giggled then laughed when she saw the look on Fitz's face.

"He's just mad because Linda loved me first," Fitz grunted, finding the humor in his brother's antics.

"You and Linda used to date?" Olivia asked, suddenly interested in every girl he was with before her.

"It's a long story," he tried to dismiss, hoping that she'd drop it and change the subject.

"Well, we have a long flight."

"Ok. It all began in a mystical land called Santa Barbara…" Fitz began and proceeded to tell her in a very theatrical way about his girlfriends and how his little brother tried to steal them all.

* * *

**An: So there you have it, Fitz and Liv are engaged. Let me know what you thought in a review below ;). Till next time...**


	13. Milestones

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.**

**AN: Hey guys! How's it going? Good? Awesome. Anyways, when we last left off, Fitz and Olivia got engaged and they were on their way back home from Cali. Let's see what happens next. Happy reading :)**

* * *

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh," Abby screeched, jumping up and down and clapping as soon as she spotted Olivia's ring.

This was in rare character for the redhead, but her excitement spread like wildfire and soon Olivia was jumping up and down and clapping too. That turned into hugging each other and spinning around like two girls that had got asked to the prom by the head of the football and basketball team. Some tears were shed, although later on both would deny that they had shed even a single one.

When their total girl moment was over, they both cleared their throats and fixed their clothes. "So, yeah," Olivia said nonchalantly, trying to keep the full extent of her excitement out of her voice, "he proposed," and she couldn't help but get all giddy all over again

Tugging her hand, Abby pulled her into her living room where they both sat down on the couch. "Tell me everything. Don't leave out a single detail."

"The day started off wonderful with a trip to the beach, then he surprised me with a suggestion of some alone time…." She continued her story, Abby hanging on every single word and oohing and aahing at some of the details.

"Was it a total surprise?" Abby asked when the story came to an end.

"Yeah, I had no idea. I mean, we'd been talking about marriage and the future for a little while now, but I didn't think it he was going to do it then," Olivia said, her mind still on the day he proposed.

"Have you guys started wedding planning yet? As maid of honor…I am maid of honor right," she paused, then laughed at Olivia's "duh," then continued rambling on and on about plans for the wedding.

The two women spent the rest of their weekly scheduled brunch watching bride shows. Both finding it lucky that Four Weddings was on TLC and both criticized and picked out things they liked as others big day played out on the screen. For the better part of the morning and midafternoon, they ate popcorn and drank wine while also nibbling on some tasty pastries that Abby had baked some time earlier.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to get going. Fitz is watching the kids and the last time I left him alone with them there was some green ick splattered all over the kitchen and to do this day, I still don't know what it was. It kind of smelled like kiwi, but I don't know," Olivia said as she got up and gathered her purse, sticking some of those pastries in it on the sly.

"Tell me about it. Stephen was alone with Vivian for an entire weekend and I came home to my child in nothing but a pull up –mind you she was potty trained at the time- strawberry jelly caked in her hair and black sharpie all over her body and my walls. Needless to say, that was my last weekend trip for a while," Abby commented as she walked her best friend to do the door.

Olivia cracked up laughing, remembering when Abby came home from her first weekend trip alone since having the baby and just being extremely irritated with Stephen for the rest of the week. Now she knew why. She kept laughing as she hugged Abby then proceeded to walk out the door and down the driveway to her car.

* * *

Fitz scrambled to get everything put back in place. Olivia had texted him fifteen minutes ago saying that she was on her way home. He had maybe ten more minutes to get the house back in order. Had she walked in a half hour ago, she would have seen green ick coating the walls in the kitchen and their children covered in syrup and flour. He thought it was a good idea to make them homemade pancakes with kiwi banana smoothies. As last time, he forget to put the cap on the blender and wanting his babies to be hands on, he may have let them get a little too involved the flour part.

He successfully cleaned his smoothie concoction off the walls as the twins watched him, laughing at the comments he was making in his baby voice that were something to the effect of "your Mommy is going to kill me." After the kitchen fiasco was cleaned up, he gave them a bath, the flour caking on as soon as water hit it, making the entire process that much more difficult. He made a mental note to wipe as much flour off with a damp towel first for the next time. The sticky syrup took three rinsings to get out of their curls and even then they still smelled sweet.

After their bath, he put them down for a quick nap and washed the dishes that he used. He picked up the twins' toys that were scattered all over the living room and threw their dirty onesies in the washer. By the time he heard the door open, everything looked like how Olivia left it and he was very proud of himself. He managed to watch his children without any major incident and now his fiancée- the love of his life-was home. What could be better than that?

"Hi baby," Olivia greeted when she saw Fitz lounging in his recliner. She sat her bags down, plopped herself on his lap, gave him a quick kiss, then laid her head on his chest.

"Did you have a good time at Abby's?" he asked, stroking her back and pulling her closer.

"I did. She was almost more excited than I was," she laughed then told Fitz about all the jumping and screaming they did. "Where are Lila and Bennett?" she wondered, looking around the apartment for the first time to see if anything was out of place. Surprisingly, there wasn't.

"They're asleep," he said, a bit of cockiness in his tone.

"Look at you being super dad," Olivia said with a smile. "No green ick this time?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'.

"Okay good. I'm going to take dinner out of the fridge and maybe we can get in a little…you know…while the twins are asleep," Olivia said with a wink as she hopped off his lap.

He mentally patted himself on the back for a job well done but that was quickly shut down when he heard her yell, "Fitz, why the hell is there green ick on my floor?!" Damn, he knew he forgot something.

"Livi… I can explain…" he said, getting up and running to the kitchen before she could find anything else.

* * *

The next night, they had Jacqueline and Richard over for dinner. It had been a couple of weeks since she had seen her mother and Olivia begrudgingly admitted to missing her. It was odd that before, her and her mother could go all year without talking and now that spoke at least five times a week. Jacqueline was a great grandmother, taking her role as the spoiler a little too seriously, but Olivia couldn't really complain because she and Fitz spoiled Lila and Bennett too.

"Hi, sweetheart. I missed you guys," Jacqueline greeted, a wide smile on her face.

"Hi, Mom. We missed you too," Olivia said and leaned in to hug her mother.

"How was your trip to Texas?" She asked, moving further into the home with Richard trailing behind.

"It was good. I think you and Fitz's mom will get along great. His sister was a little hard to deal with, but his father was nice and his brother is hilarious. I can't wait for you guys to meet them," she said, taking a seat on the sofa.

Fitz came in carrying the twins and they started babbling when they saw their grandmother. Jacqueline immediately reached for one of them and Bennett went first, probably because he saw the shiny bracelets on her wrist and wanted to pull on them. Richard held his arms out for Lila and after a few moments, she extended her arms, letting him know that it was okay to touch her.

"I'm happy that you enjo…Olivia, what is that on your finger?" Her mother asked, breaking away from her original sentence when she saw something glistening in the light.

"Well, while we were in California, Fitz proposed," she announced, almost reverting back to the bouncing ball she was when she told Abby.

Jacqueline started crying and immediately offered her congratulations to the couple. "I'm just so happy for you. My baby is getting married. I can't believe it. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful wife and I just know that Fitz is going to make a fantastic husband," Jacqueline gushed.

"Thanks, Mom. That means a lot to hear you say that."

"And you know, with my expertise in wedding planning, I could definitely help you with the entire process," she offered.

Olivia gaze Fitz a side eye, noticing that he had tucked in both of his lips in order not to laugh, and she rolled her eyes at him. It was true, her mother was an expert at planning weddings and considering the amount that she had, she should be. And all of those marriages, excluding her current one, had ended in divorce. Sure it was being superstitious, but Olivia really did not want her mother near any of the planning. She just needed her to show up on the day with an acceptable dress and great wedding gift.

"Thanks, Mom, but Abby already claimed the title of co- wedding planner," Olivia told her.

"Well, maybe I can hook up with her sometime during this whole process… just to give some input," her mother tried.

"Uh…sure. I'll let her know," Olivia said, not having the heart to tell her no.

"So Fitz, are you ready to walk down the aisle again?" Richard asked.

"I couldn't be any more ready. I would marry her tonight if she'd let me. But my Livi wants all the bells and whistles and I'm determined to make this a fairytale for her," Fitz told his future father-in-law.

"I understand that. Her mother wanted the same and we do anything for the women we love," Richard agreed.

"That we do." The look of love in Fitz's eyes made her heart melt.

"Well, dinner is ready, so let's go eat," Olivia announced and the group headed to the dining room.

Olivia stopped Fitz before he could fully join the others at the table. "I love you so much," she told him, just needing to get the words off of her tongue and to his ears. She never wanted him to doubt her love for him.

"I love you, too, Livi…"

* * *

"Fitz! FFFFIIIIITTTTZZZ! Hurry up and get your phone. HURRY HURRY HURRY!" Olivia screamed as she watched Lila stand up all on her own and begin to take her first step on wobbly, unsure legs.

Fitz came running into the living room, the vibrations from his weight and the speed in which he was running traveled through the hardwood and toppled Lila down. Olivia was right there, being the overprotective Mama bear that she was, but something told her to hold back and let her daughter figure this out on her own.

So with her mother, father-the camera on his iPhone rolling-, and brother, Lila got back up and tried again. She had the same determined look on her face that her mother would get and it was the cutest thing that Olivia had even seen. She wiped away the tears crowding her vision and watched as her baby girl took one step, then another, and then another, before finally falling back down.

Fitz and Olivia went crazy with applause and praises. They had both assumed that Bennett would walk first and were pleasantly surprised that it was their little girl. Apparently she liked to walk, because each time she fell down, she would get up and try again. Fitz had over an hour of camera footage on his phone and they continued to watch as if it were the most interest thing in the whole world.

Then something even more unexpected happened. Lila wobbled over to her brother, bent her knees, and grabbed Bennett's hands. They had seen Bennett do this for Lila a few times when they were first learning to stand. He would help his sister up the best he could before she would grab on to something else for leverage. And when they started crawling, he would get so excited and speed off, but would stop and wait for Lila to catch up. Now she was returning the favor.

She helped him up, doing her absolute best seeing as how she was still new to the whole walking thing. He grabbed on to the edge of the nearby couch and Lila walked away from him, standing a few feet away. Then she clapped her hands and shouted something in their twin jibber jabber language, encouraging her brother to literally follow in her footsteps. Sticking his tongue out and knitting his brows together, Bennett took a breath, and then waddled over to his sister. He was about to fall so he leaned forward, hugging his sister for support and she held him back, both to stay on her feet as well and as a congratulations for a job well done.

Tears of joy were streaming down Olivia's face at this point and Fitz had put his phone down so that he could wipe away a stray tear then scoop his children up in his arms. They praised them over and over then proceeded to watch their children gain their footing and become surer and surer with every step taken. After about two hours, they had tuckered themselves out and both curled in their father's arm and fell asleep. They put them down in their cribs, musing that they'd have to switch to their 'big kid' beds soon.

Fitz and Olivia sat and watched the videos, each coming up with new challenges that they'd face now that their babies were growing up. Fitz started looking around at everything they'd need to baby proof and Olivia Googled the best way to potty train. Fitz was stressing about preschools and college and told Olivia to remind him to go out and buy a shotgun for any boy that dare even look at his princess. After hearing that, they both bust out laughing at how stressed they'd become and took a collective breather.

"This parenting business isn't too bad," Olivia commented, not being able to get over how just yesterday they were small little bundles in her arms and now they were on the fast track to the terrible twos.

"No, no it's not. Livi, I was thinking, with them getting bigger and us getting married, maybe we should think about moving," he hedged.

"I was thinking about that too. I would like a nice yard with a pool and maybe a dog. Maybe even a big kitchen to make jam in," she said, thinking about their dream house.

"You make jam?" Fitz asked with his eyebrow arched.

"No, but isn't that what women do when they get married? Move to the country and make jam?" she pondered.

"I have no clue, but baby, just because we're moving, doesn't mean we have to go to country and doesn't mean you all of a sudden have to become Martha Stewart," he told her.

"You're right. I'm Olivia Pope soon-to- be Grant and I don't make jam," she said with her hands on her hips.

"That's my girl. I'll get in contact with a realtor in the morning," he told her, pulling her body to his by her hips.

"Great idea…now let's go to bed," she said and leaned up to peck his lips.

* * *

The next few weeks were spent house hunting, something not as easy as they thought it would be. Olivia and Fitz would watch HGTV at night, hoping to get an idea of what they were looking for but the next day, it would prove impossible to find. They also had two completely different tastes. Fitz wanted a fixer upper, something he could work on during the weekends to transform the house into their own. Olivia wanted a sleek, modern place that was move-in-ready. Their different styles resulted in quite a few arguments, each always ending with Fitz apologizing first.

Today they were looking at houses again, this time Lila and Bennett coming along instead of staying with her mother. They toured a couple of houses; one was too big, another too small, when they pulled up on Abby's street. To say Olivia was surprised was an understatement and her surprise was only amped up when they pulled into the driveway right next to Abby's. She had been to Abby's at least once a week and never once did she see a moving van or any indications that someone was about to leave.

"Hello, Fitz. Hello, Olivia," their realtor Mark greeted. He was wearing one of his famous three piece suits, his hair slick back and designer shades guarding his eyes. He looked like a typical hotshot realtor and had the resume to prove it.

"Fitz had expressed that he liked this neighborhood and with this house just going on the market yesterday, I pulled some strings to get you guys in here early to see the property," Mark explained.

"We are very excited to see this place," Fitz said, putting his free hand on Olivia's lower back and walking towards the home.

It was a traditional two story colonial brick home with a two car garage, red shutters, and it sat on a beautifully manicured lawn on a tree lined street. Olivia had admired this home from afar, always curious as to what the inside looked like and now she got the chance to see.

Because the house was recently put up for sale, the owner's furniture was still in the home but Mark assured them that it would be out within two weeks. They didn't mind seeing the space filled because it gave them a sense of how their stuff would look. The house had four bedrooms, an office space, a den, living room, and dining room. The kitchen and bathrooms had been recently renovated giving it that modern feel that Olivia liked but it still had the charm of an older home, something that Fitz had been looking for. The piece de résistance was the unfinished basement; a deal breaker for some was a selling point for them. Now Fitz had his weekend project without disturbing the beautiful two stories upstairs.

"I absolutely love it," Olivia said as they headed out to the backyard.

The outdoor space had a pool, a privacy fence, an outdoor kitchen and deck, and still enough room for a grassy area for the twins to play and possibly for a dog to run. She had already fallen in love with the master bedroom, no doubt because of the walk-in closet, and had asked Mark where to sign.

"I love it too, and think we should make an offer," Fitz said, shifting Bennett on his hip and turning to Mark.

"I thought you guys would love it. I'll get in contact with the owner's realtor and have the contracts drawn up. I'll get back to you soon," he said, already pulling out his Blackberry.

He walked away and Olivia had a wide smile on her face when she turned to face Fitz. "Baby, we're about to be home owner's! I can see us having birthday parties, Christmases, barbeques, and pool parties here. I'm so excited."

"Me too, Livi, me too…"

* * *

**AN: So, I think the title Milestones was perfect. We reached a few in this chapter. Next up, wedding. Forewarning, there next chapter will be the last but it will be followed by an epilogue. I know, I hate endings too, but we all have to face them at some point. Anyways, let me know what you thought of this segment in a review below. Till next time.**


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